


Hey There Soldier

by Mavynn



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: F/M, MCU AU Fest, Not Canon Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 06:51:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 62,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19718428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mavynn/pseuds/Mavynn
Summary: Rating has been changed to explicit for later chapters which will contain scenes sexual in nature.The Winter Soldier pulls Steve from the water barely understanding why. While watching over him on the shore Tony Stark "Iron Man" arrives with a woman who the Winter Soldier becomes convinced somehow knows he is in the shadows watching them. She does not alert anyone to his presence.Annabelle Stark is the younger sister of of Tony Stark. An empath who can't bearthe touch of other people because of the horrors it brings when she picks up memories and emotions that feel like violations to her. Steve asks her to follow his friend because she is the only one who can without alerting him to her presence. Annabelle spends the next 18 months following the Winter Soldier at a distance. Until she is shot and he is the only one who can nurse her through the fever. Annabelle can prove Bucky did not kill the Wakandan King but is anyone listening?





	1. Prologue

All the Soldier could think as he looked down at the man he had hauled out of the water was “I know him.”

He had lied. This man was not just a mission. He wanted him to be. It would have made things so much easier. Complete the mission. Return. Give a mission report. The pain stops. The time he was awake had become nothing but one long unending torture session.

He would have ended it long ago but something kept holding him back. And the Soldier had a feeling this man was tied to whatever that was.

It was not long before the man on the ground “You are my friend.” Began to breathe again, coughing up water. He would live then.

The Soldier was walking away when he heard people approaching. Two of them. And they weren’t bothering to be quiet. A man and a woman.

He knew he should leave but something made him fade back in to the foliage and wait. It was unlikely they were there to harm the man he had pulled from the water but he would wait any way. To make certain.

The man who came through was the one in the flying red armor. He was smart he kept scanning around, looking for danger.

The woman was dressed simply. Khaki shorts and a light sleeveless sweatshirt. A light bulge told him she was carrying a small pistol. After the battle she had to have witnessed that had to have come across as a joke. Even with a well placed shot she couldn’t have done more than inconvenience him with whatever it was she was carrying.

But she had come anyway. To search for a friend. What was it with these people and their willingness to sacrifice for their friends? At least the one he fought with had come equipped to fight even if he hadn’t wanted to.

The way she had carelessly stuffed that pistol in to her sweatshirt pocket suggested someone had forced her to take it. Was it even loaded?

It struck the Soldier as the bravest thing he had ever seen. Or the most foolish. He could not decide.

The one they referred to as Iron Man spoke in to a radio. “We found Rogers, he is beat to hell but alive….. How the hell would I know, do I look like an expert of falling out of helicarriers and washing up on shore?.... No, there is no sign of the Winter Soldier…. If you are so concerned Romanov get your ass down here and find out.”

The woman had dropped down next to the injured man and brushed the hair from his face. “Steve? Come on now Steve we need you to wake up.” She gently patted his cheeks.

Steve, that was the man’s name. Steve. He knew that name. A part of his mind smiled and thought “punk.”

The man in the suit gently pushed the woman aside “That isn’t how you wake up a super soldier.”

Super soldier… The Soldier knew that term… super soldier. He had been called that before he was called the Winter Soldier. Maybe. It didn’t matter. Or maybe just the man on the ground …Steve… had. 

“Fine, Tony.” The woman stood up, dusting off her hands “If you think you can do better be my guest.”

Tony’s mask pulled back revealing a grinning face. “I always think I can do better, sweetheart.”

Something primal in the Soldier did not like this man calling her sweetheart. Which was ridiculous. He sneered at the stupidity of it.

The woman stood back and gestured towards Steve. “Be my guest.”

Tony grabbed Steve and began shaking him violently slapping his face hard. “Wake up Capsicle!” He screamed “Sleeping on duty! Is this the kind of crap they taught you in the Army?”

The woman gasped in outrage. The Soldier would have grinned if he had been capable. He hated to admit the Iron Man was right. That was the way to go about it. Gentle taps were not going to rouse Steve.

When Steve began groaning and pushing Tony away the woman huffed in annoyance. “Men.”

“See Annabelle?” Tony smirked.” I told you I could do better.”

Annabelle. The Soldier liked it. The name suited her. Gentle and feminine.

The woman… Annabelle started wandering around. She was getting dangerously close to where he was. Close enough that he could make out very specific details. The way her long dark brown almost black hair caught glints off of the sun. He was almost certain that if he caught a curl and wrapped it around his finger it would hold shape. The smooth tanned skin on her legs that begged to be… nope, those were not the details he was supposed to be noticing. Where her gun was, were there back up weapons. He had no idea.

“Do you think he pulled Steve from the water?” Annabelle asked.

Tony was helping Steve sit up. “Who?”

“The Winter Soldier.” Annabelle stopped to admire a flower. “Who else?”

“Now why would he do that, sweetheart? And why are you wandering off?” The Soldier thought it was a fair damned question. And sniffing flowers like she was on a picnic. And if that man called her sweetheart one more time he was going to be shot. Repeatedly. “And where is your gun? When I hand you a gun I expect you to carry it.”

Annabelle patted her pocket. “It is right here Tony, so you can stop barking at me. And I am not going to shoot anyone with it so I don’t know why you gave it to me.”

Tony sighed. “I won’t always be there to protect you.”

Annabelle smiled and the Soldier felt his heart skip a beat. “Not always, but you are today. That is what big brothers are for. Besides, I have Iron Man and Captain America right here, what pistol is going to protect me better?”

Brother. OK. Not a lover then. What about Steve? She was awfully concerned about him. And why did it matter? Except for the tiny freckle on the left side of her lower lip.

“Well…?” Annabelle prodded.

“Well what?” Tony asked distractedly.

“Do you think the Winter Soldier pulled Steve from the river?” Annabelle had leaned against a tree close to where the soldier was standing. If she turned just a bit she might have even seen him.

“No. Absolutely not.” Tony was firm in his conviction. Wrong, but firm.

“Why not?” Annabelle was twirling a flower under her nose inhaling the fragrance “They were friends. Steve wouldn’t be friends with someone who was a bad person.”

“He is a HYDRA assassin Anna!” Tony sighed. “By definition a bad person.”

“Well, yes, but aren’t you curious about why?” Annabelle tapped her lip. “Maybe they have a bomb implanted in his brain or…”

Tony threw up his hands. “What is it with you and bad guys? Your last boyfriend was a KGB spy and the one before that…”

Annabelle interrupted him. “OK that one isn’t fair. I had no idea when Nick told me to get information from him that he was a spy.”

“OK, first, it is not ‘Nick’ his first name is Director his last name is Fury. And what did you THINK was going on with the accent, the suits, fancy parties with dangerous men?”

“I thought Andres was an art dealer… stop laughing!” Annabelle pouted. “Yes I did. And all of you ruined a perfectly lovely evening.”

“A lovely evening full of KGB secret plans for assassinations of seven heads of state. And the one before that… the grass eater?” Tony sounded even more disgusted than he had about the spy.

“Vegans are not in the same class as spies, Tony. They just don’t eat meat or use animal products.” Annabelle giggled.

“You tried to make me reupholster my cars.” Tony helped Steve to his feet. “A cardinal sin.”

Steve groaned, the Soldier noticed this immediately brought Annabelle to full attention. She dropped the flower and ran forward.

“Steve! Oh, your face.” Annabelle cooed. “I am so sorry, here I was sparring with Tony and you must be in so much pain.”

Steve pushed her searching hands away. “I am fine Annabelle. Super Soldier, remember? I heal quickly. Did you… did you happen to see or sense anyone…”

The Soldier would have sworn that Annabelle looked directly where he was standing. Had she known he was there? Impossible. She would have screamed. Drawn her pistol, as ineffective as it would have been. Called her brother. Something.

Wouldn’t she?

The look on Annabelle’s face was… gentle? Compassionate? Words that were virtually nonexistent in the Soldier’s world. “I haven’t sensed anyone dangerous nearby Steve.”

“Damned right she hasn’t.” Tony let go of Steve once he was standing on his own without swaying. “If there had been anyone dangerous out there she would have invited them to S.H.I.E.L.D’s annual ball by now.”

“Is that… something they do?” Steve asked confused.

“No!” “Yes!” Tony and Annabelle shouted at the same time.

“Let it go Tony.” Annabelle grumbled. “One KGB spy and I am forever branded as some sort of bad boy fetish freak.”

“You and fetish are two concepts I never want in the same part of my brain again.” Tony shuddered. “And there was also a grass eater.”

“Vegan.” Annabelle clarified. “Adam was a vegan, Tony.”

“He was a squirrely suspicious bastard.” Tony crossed his arms stubbornly. “Why can’t you date someone nice. Like Capsicle here.”

“You want me to date STEVE?!” The shock and amusement in her voice told the Soldier she was definitely not dating Steve.

Not that it should matter to him at all.

“Yeah, you want Annabelle to date me?” Steve was equally amused. “Do I get a say? Do I even get to pick out the china pattern?”

“Not Steve!” Tony turned on the grinning blonde. “Not you! I said LIKE you. Nice. Stable. Shut up stop looking at me like that.”

“Good.” Annabelle laughed as they started to walk away. “I don’t want to date Steve. No offense Steve, you have great… assets… but the whole Captain America thing? Too much pressure.”

“None taken.” Steve assured her. “I really don’t want to date a Stark either. WAY too much pressure.”

“Hey!” Their voices were starting to get a bit further. The Soldier had no trouble picking them up still “What is so much pressure about dating a Stark?”

Steve and Annabelle looked at Tony incredulously and both started laughing until they had to hold on to each other for support.

Tony waved off their antics. “Unlike you two jokers I have to check in.”

When Tony got a bit further Steve grabbed Annabelle’s arm. “I have a favor to ask.”

Annabelle narrowed her eyes. “What is this ‘favor’ Rogers? Your last little favor made me convince my brother I was too stupid to tell the difference between a goddamned KGB covert agent and an art dealer. He is still taking the piss out of me for that.”

The Soldier grinned. Somehow the thought that she was more competent than she appeared pleased him.

“Come on Anna.” Steve cajoled. “You know Tony would have been difficult if he thought you knew what you were walking in to. He believed your ignorance was protection. No what I need you to do is…”

The rest of Steve’s words were snatched away by shouts from several soldiers nearby and a helicopter landing somewhere in the distance.

“Why?” Annabelle looked at Steve curiously. “Why do you want me to do this?”

“Because” Steve ran a nervous hand through his hair. “You are probably the only one who can. Please?”

“Have I ever denied you anything Steve?” Annabelle asked, resigned, but with a small laugh.

As they walked away the Soldier saw Annabelle pull something from her shorts pocket and drop it to the ground.

He waited until well after dark to move from his spot and see what she dropped. It was a money clip with several thousand dollars. Enough money to secure an escape. He had no need of it but still…

Its drop was not an accident. She HAD known he was there.


	2. Bucharest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky rents an apartment in Bucharest. Annabelle sets up a free clinic

Annabelle stood and stretched her muscles enjoying the way her back cracked after a long day at work.

It had been almost eighteen months since Steve had been pulled from the water. Eighteen months of following one Sergeant James Buchannan Barnes on his quest around the world to find himself.

First the Smithsonian. That was not surprising. He watched the display about Steve aka Captain America and the Howling Commandos and how one James Buchannan “Bucky” Barnes and he had been inseparable from school yard to battlefield. And how Sergeant Barnes was the only Howling Commando to give his life in the line of duty.

Or not.

Then for some unknown reason it was off to South America. Never any one place for long. Annabelle’s special abilities allowed her to keep following him. He had kept the money clip, which made it easier. After following him so long she liked to sometimes fantasize that it was sentiment that made him keep it. Which was absolute bullshit. He had no way of knowing it wasn’t simply an accident that she had dropped it. And her abilities kept him from knowing she was following him at all.

Still… the thought that the handsome Sergeant would want some small token from her… Annabelle shook her head to clear any ridiculous romantic thoughts.

A few months travelling Europe. Which was nice. Annabelle had not really had a lot of time to just travel quietly and recover her equilibrium. Which is what she told Tony she was doing.

Tony didn’t like Annabelle going but he had in the end he had agreed. As long as she checked in periodically he wouldn’t even send out the cavalry.

“Good kiddo.” He had hugged her. “Take the jet if you want. Take the credit cards. Go wild.”

“OK, first the jet is mine.” Annabelle quirked an eyebrow.

“Debatable.” Tony waved off any notion that anything with Stark on the side wasn’t his even though the company was, in fact split 50/50.

“And…” Annabelle ignored him. “The point is to go mostly off grid. I won’t be so far gone that I can’t reach out but I don’t want you, or JARVIS tracking me. I need head space. To come to terms with… everything.”

Steve had come to see her before she left. “I really appreciate this Annabelle… but, be careful. I want to believe he wouldn’t harm you but…”

“But he is a HYDRA weapon of goddamned mass destruction?” Annabelle shrugged.

“Yeah…” Steve blushed at her colorful language. ”Something like that.”

“We watched the same videos.” Annabelle reminded him. “He never went after non combatants.”

“Those non combatants weren’t following him.” Steve looked worried still.

“He won’t even know I am there Steve.” She reassured him. “It will be fine. When I know more…. When there is something to tell… I will call.”

So far there had been nothing to tell. They had not stayed anywhere long, and he had never known she was there, just like she told Steve.

Well, they had not stayed anywhere for long until Bucharest. They had been here for six months now. Annabelle was starting to think she should call Steve, but then watching the news turned up everything that had gone on in Sokovia. Definitely NOT the time to be distracting Captain America.

When it became clear Sergeant Barnes would be staying here awhile, he rented an apartment, something he had never done before Annabelle knew she would need to make plans.

They were staying in a very poor section of Bucharest. Not surprising. It was a good place to blend in. With the political unrest the value of their money had tanked. Things were pretty inexpensive here. But still, like everywhere, the poorest people had trouble getting access to basic medical care. As a registered nurse Annabelle was no doctor but she could certainly administer vaccinations and provide for the basic necessities of the neighborhood families.

Growing up with Tony as her guardian had been an interesting childhood. He was 16 when Annabelle was born. She was the surprise child long after her parents were sure there would be no more children. Annabelle was only five when they died so she had no real memories them. But she had always had Tony. And half of Stark Industries. But Annabelle had never cared as much about the business as Tony had. She just let Tony handle everything. Annabelle wanted to be a nurse, a healer.

Tony doted on Annabelle, but in a distracted way. He loved her but didn’t know what to do with that love. So instead, JARVIS became Annabelle’s world. Later there was Happy. But it was always JARVIS. He was her tutor, her friend, her nanny, her everything. It never occurred to Annabelle as a child that it was weird. He played games with her, helped her with her school work. Such as schoolwork was. She never went anywhere to school. It was all right in the tower.

Annabelle was never really around children her own age unless workers brought their kids Sometimes they did and Annabelle enjoyed playing with them, but she also enjoyed when they left again. But there were always plenty of other people. Inventors, scientists, doctors. She never felt completely alone or isolated. But Annabelle learned that if you touched someone’s hand and you “accidentally” know stuff about people that they didn’t mean to share with you… that JARVIS was better for her. He didn’t treat her like the freak she sometimes felt like. He was her best friend growing up. He taught her twelve different languages and the customs of the people who used those languages. And thank goodness Romanian was one Annabelle had learned as she had no trouble getting along here.

In no time Annabelle found a small building, hired some locals to fix it up. She ordered basic medical supplies, vaccines, antibiotics and the like and hung out a shingle. None of which she could have done in the United States without also hiring a doctor, but enough money makes problems go away. Especially when your intentions are good and you are asking people to over look the fact that you are buying flu vaccines and bandages not narcotics and you are getting them all from well known legitimate sources.

Annabelle only charged what people could afford. If that was nothing… well... then that was nothing. She had a small room in the back that served as her small apartment. It wasn’t fancy, but it had a hot plate and a small refrigerator. She hoped they would not be there long anyway. They had already been there longer than she had expected.

Surprisingly she had no problems from the criminal element at all. Really surprising considering the neighborhood. The legendary Romanian hospitality was spot on.

Annabelle heard the front door open. Iona, the young woman she had hired to greet patients should have been gone. There was a street festival going on. Some local celebration. Iona had promised to bring her back some of the treats they passed out.

Perhaps this was her benefactor finally getting the courage to see her.

Every day she found fruit in her office. Annabelle assumed it was from someone she had treated that could not pay her. It was a lovely gesture and she had appreciated the fresh produce. Lord knows she rarely had time to get to market.

Stepping out in to the lobby she called out in Romanian “Hello? Can I help you?”

The young man, long lanky hair galling in to his eyes leveled a gun on her. Definitely not her benefactor then.

Slowly holding her hands out to show she was no threat Annabelle said softly. “There is no need for that. Whatever you need I will help you. That is what I am here for.”

The tracks on the young man’s arms told her what he had come for. Drugs, _legale_ they were called. Or the syringes to inject them. She could give him the latter but she had no drugs. Unless he wanted an aspirin and a flu shot.

“I don’t need the help of some American slut.” Annabelle drew in a sharp breath at the venom in his voice. “We know you have some in here… hand it over if you don’t want to get hurt.”

“Some?” Annabelle was confused. “Some what?”

She wasn’t even sure the young man knew. The wild look in his eyes suggested madness born of withdrawal. He looked her up and down and licked his lips. “You want to be roughed up, eh? Maybe you like it rough, eh slut?”

Annabelle took an involuntary step backwards, suddenly wishing she had that pistol Tony kept trying to make her carry. “I have bandages… aspirin… nothing more… please…”

At that moment the door opened Iona stepped in calling out. “Nurse Anna, I brought you hot…” Her eyes grew round and frightened at the scene in front of her.

“Iona run!” Annabelle screamed.

There was a brief moment when everything went still. Perhaps it was the door opening that startled him. Or maybe it was when she called out. Annabelle knew that one moment the young man was facing her the next he was… gone. And she was against the wall with a white hot pain in her right side.

Someone was leaning over her. The most startling blue eyes were staring in to hers. Her breath caught. “Am I dead then? Are you an angel? Romanian angels are much better looking than ours…” She knew she was babbling. And probably going in to shock.

The face belonging to those eyes registered shock and then smiled slightly. “You are not dead. We need to get you to a hospital, draga.”

The face… the voice. “Hey there Soldier. So we meet at last Sergeant Barnes.” Annabelle frowned as Bucky picked her up gently. “No. No hospital…. Sokovia….” Annabelle knew she was fading out. Shock was imminent.

“Stay with me, draga. You want to go to Sokovia?” Bucky’s long strides took them out of the clinic.

With a gentle hand on his cheek Annabelle turned his face to hers. “No hospital…. Tony will find out. Sokovia. He would… distracted… Please…. Keep me with you.”

Bucky sighed. “You have been with me the whole time. I don’t see any reason to change that now.”

Bucky knew the moment Annabelle had picked up his trail. She seemed content to stay in the background and watch. He had expected at any time S.H.I.E.L.D. would show up. Or Steve. Or someone. But no one ever did. Only his pretty little shadow.

Annabelle was a trooper, Bucky would give her that. No matter where he led her she followed. The heart of the Amazon, the wilds of Asia, and just as he did, she accomplished everything alone. So many times he thought to stop. Speak to her. But what would he have even said? Bucky had spent far longer than he would have in some places so that Annabelle could rest.

He kept expecting her to give up and leave but she never did. A year and a half later and she was still with him.

Bucky had loved watching the expression on her face when Annabelle explored some new site. Or spoke to the locals. At first he was amazed at how fluently she spoke so many languages and knew the customs. Her humble manner appealed to his Romanian side.

That was when he knew where he wanted to take her next. Bucky wasn’t quite certain when this quest to rediscover his memories had become a quest to make Annabelle laugh. He only knew the few times that he had seen her up close there was something haunted in her eyes. Something that he wanted to change.

The money clip that Bucky had kept maintained her scent and the scent of the flowers she had been plucking that day for a long time. The handkerchiefs he took from her did as well.

So they had come to Bucharest. Bucky watched her set up her clinic. She gave her gift of healing freely. The locals adored her. They called her their tămăduitor [înger](https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-meaning-of/romanian-word-44dc445303938d40adb9e56354430d1e1e1f85c4.html), their healing angel. Of course that also attracted criminals who believed that she had drugs and other valuables free for the taking. After he made an example of several they had left her alone.

This junky must have been truly desperate to have ignored those warnings.

It should not have come as a surprise to him, Bucky reflected. In more than one place he had all but camped outside of Annabelle’s tent to keep her from being snatched away in the night. None of her would be kidnappers wanted to tangle with her metal armed body guard.

When Bucky realized that Annabelle had been living on processed junk food he had started bringing baskets of fresh fruit to her clinic at night.

The notes of gratitude Annabelle had left outside with the basket and an invitation to take tea with her also carried her scent.

Bucky knew that these festivals brought out the worst sort. Thieves, pick pockets and worse. He decided he would need to keep a close eye on the clinic. What Bucky had not anticipated was that Annabelle would close the clinic early. He was on the wrong side of the street when he saw the figure of a man and the silhouette of a gun enters the clinic. A cold calm stole over him.

It took only moments for him to cross the street but in that time Bucky had fully become the Winter Soldier.

Somewhere he heard a woman’s voice scream “Run Iona!” and then a gunshot.

The Soldier tore the to the clinic door off of its hinges. Before his target could turn around the Soldier had reached out with his metal hand and snapped his neck. He threw the body aside. It was meaningless.

The Soldier bent down to the woman. The bullet had gone clean through. It was likely it had missed vital organs. He looked in to her eyes for signs of awareness. He stopped when he heard the woman speak “Am I dead then? Are you an angel? Romanian angels are much better looking than ours.”

She refused to be taken to a hospital. After a quick look around he grabbed what he needed and left before the authorities could arrive. 


	3. Cover Blown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky has brought Annabelle back to his apartment after she was shot

****

Annabelle started to roll over and groaned in pain. Her entire right side was on fire. Everything came rushing back at once.

She had been shot! Her hand flew to her side finding a bandage tightly binding her.

Before Annabelle could do anything further an arm was around her shoulder supporting her. “Easy, draga, don’t open the wounds. Here…”

A cold glass of water was pressed to her lips. Gratefully she drank. She would have drained the glass if he had not stopped her. “Careful, let’s see how you keep that down first.”

Turning slightly she looked up in to the startling blue eyes of James Barnes. Draga. Sweetheart. At the moment Annabelle was in no condition to examine what that endearment did to her insides. Meaningless. The way southern waitresses called everyone “Sugar.” But this close… held in his arms. No, bad, traitorous thoughts.

“Thank you.” Annabelle whispered, cheeks bright red. “Where are we?”

If Bucky thought it was pretty telling that Annabelle had not asked “Were am I?” but asked “Where are we?” he did not comment.

Helping Annabelle carefully sit up so he could examine her wounds, Bucky told her “We are in my apartment. Yours is…”

“Is covered in my blood.” Annabelle looked at the wall sadly.

“Filled with police.” Bucky carefully removed her bandages. “Your assistant was concerned.”

“Oh my poor sweet Iona.” Annabelle shook her head. “I must do something for her, find her a new position. She needs this job and won’t take my money otherwise. Stubborn girl. But why are we here?”

Bucky did not like the red raw look of her wounds. That was one dirty bullet she was shot with. “You begged me not to take you to the hospital. Something about Sokovia..?”

“Oh… ummm..” Annabelle cast about for a plausible excuse. “Shock and pain I suppose…”

“Mmmmm.” Bucky hummed in a noncommittal way. “I am going to have to flush this wound again. I can’t close it up, any infection would get sealed inside and you could start bleeding without me knowing.”

“You are very skilled at this.” Annabelle said, somewhat surprised. Feigning ignorance she asked “Are you a medical professional?”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Really Annabelle? Are we honestly going to keep pretending we don’t know who the other one is? For God’s sake, you called me Sergeant Barnes at your clinic.”

Whoops. Damned. “That is no fair using what a woman says in shock against her.” Annabelle pouted “I was a perfectly good spy until then.”

“You were supposed to be spying on me?” A smile was playing around Bucky’s lips as he set up a bucket to catch any fluids and prepared to flush her wound with sterilized water.

Annabelle pursed her lips. “When did you first notice me?”

Bucky gently began flushing her wound, as careful as he was it was still painful. “The same time you noticed me, draga, when I hauled Steve’s punk ass out of that river.”

He said that with such affection Annabelle laughed. “I meant when did you notice I was here? Was it when I started the clinic? Or bribing officials? Or…?”

Bucky shook his head. “The Smithsonian. That was where you were suddenly under the delusion that you are a world class spy.”

Annabelle shook her head in denial. “No. Absolutely not. There is no way… that was almost two years ago! You have known I was following you for two years and you what? Just LET me?”

“It was more like eighteen months.” Bucky shrugged. “And it isn’t like you were a bother. I just travelled a little slower so you could visit a few sites.”

Annabelle just stared at him like he was daft.

Bucky looked up at her face almost sadly. “At the Smithsonian… you went to the Stark Exhibit. You spent a long time just looking at images of your father. I… don’t remember him enough to tell you about him.”

Annabelle nodded. “Neither do I.” She whispered sadly. “He and my brother look so much alike. I often wonder if they were alike in other ways.”

“You and your brother seem… close.” Bucky opened of a jar of sweet smelling viscous fluid.

“Honey?” Annabelle sniffed the air. “Good choice. We are, I suppose. It was really JARVIS who raised me, so he and I are closer. JARVIS taught me everything I know.”

“Like all of the language you are fluent in?” Bucky smeared the honey in to her wounds. It would keep them sanitized and God willing infection would not set in.

“Among other things. He was my best friend growing up.” Annabelle smiled at the memories.

“That is… nice.” Bucky hesitated. “I guess it is pretty normal for people of your class to be mostly raised by servants.” He didn’t want to admit he was jealous of the way she spoke of this Jarvis bloke.

Annabelle giggled. “Oh JARVIS isn’t a servant. He is an A.I.”

Bucky blinked. “A.. an A.I…. as in a computer program? You were raised by a… computer?”

Now that she was older, Annabelle knew how that sounded. She had no idea why she was babbling all of this out to a perfect stranger. Except that had just spent almost two years with each other... were they really still strangers?

“JARVIS treated me like… like I am normal.” Annabelle shrugged. “I extended the courtesy.”

Bucky watched her facial expressions. There was something sad, and afraid. Something that expected to be kicked away. It was a look he often saw in his own mirror.

He thought about the things he had seen and heard. Steve saying “Because you are the only one who can.” There had to have been a reason Steve would have sent this slip of a girl who refused to use a pistol to follow a HYDRA assassin. She didn’t even particularly try to hide her presence, as if she did not expect him to notice her at all. The way she had just known where he was after his fight with Steve.

She had known he did not intend to continue the battle. She never once believed she was in any danger. In spite of the carnage all around her. Some sort of abilities then. Created? Mutation?

He looked up to find her watching him expectantly. Waiting for him to tell her… what? That she was an aberration? That he should have dumped her at a hospital and ran? For Christ’s sake the woman was a nurse who ran free clinics. How in the hell had she ran in to enough people that had done that to her to make her so wary? Bucky patter her knee gently. “I know what it’s like not to feel normal.”

Annabelle let out a breath she did not realize she had been holding. “I suppose you do.”

Bucky stood up and took the towels and water away. After heating some broth he brought it back with a spoon. “Alright, let’s see how much of this you can take, draga.” Bucky held a spoon up.

Annabelle who had just been drifting off with some very unladylike thoughts about her host snapped open her eyes her cheeks bright red. “Wh… what?”

“Broth?” Bucky’s eyes twinkled like he knew exactly what she had been thinking. “You need to keep your strength up. If you take fever you will need it.”

Annabelle found that trying to feed herself was a lesson in pain and futility. Bucky ended up spoon feeding her. Annabelle had to admit, it was nice. It had taken forever to teach Dum-E the trick to feeding her and rubbing her back when she was ill.

“I have to admit.” Annabelle smiled up at him. “You are much better at this than Dum-E.”

“umm… is that another A.I.?” Bucky was afraid of the answer.

Annabelle laughed. “Goodness no!” Bucky relaxed his shoulders. Thank God. Just a very unfortunate nickname.

“Dum-E is a robot. But he only has the one arm, see? And his fine motor skills took forever to teach him,” Annabelle giggled at the memory. “But Tony was OK with me and JARVIS teaching him to take care of me and comfort me when I was sick because it made him better in the lab.”

“I see.” Bucky dropped his head back down to the bed. It horrified him the way Annabelle described this as a perfectly normal upbringing. No wonder she wasn’t afraid of him. Cold, unfeeling machines were the goddamned normal in her life. She probably just saw the Winter Soldier as a program he ran. And from her reaction, not even a particularly interesting one. Jesus he almost wished he could go back to the time when he was too nervous to talk to her. Almost.

“Sergeant Barnes…” Annabelle started hesitantly.

Bucky looked up from where he had rested his head against the bed and smiled. “You can call me by my given name you know.”

“James then.” Annabelle smiled back when he nodded. “This is probably going to become infected no matter what we do. Do you think it is safe for me to go back to my clinic and pick up medication?”

Bucky looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “Safe? Yes. Possible? No. You wouldn’t make it down the stairs. You wouldn’t make it to the lift. And even if by some miracle you did either of those things you sure as hell wouldn’t make it the three block walk to your clinic. I will go pick up what you need.”

“James you can’t!” Annabelle clutched his arm. “You are wanted now.” She rolled her eyes at his pointed look. “More wanted then. We haven’t discussed it but… If I am not mistaken, you did not ask that young man politely to change his ways. So there will likely be evidence that you were there.”

“I won’t be seen. And even if I was, no one will tell the police. No one in this neighborhood trusts the police. Why do you think I chose it?” Bucky said confidently grabbing his coat and cap. “Now, make your list.”

Against her better judgment Annabelle wrote out everything she would need to make it through a fever.

Bucky looked over the list. “Didn’t you leave a few things off?”

Annabelle frowned. “Like what?”

“Like clothes. Toiletries, whatnots?” He shrugged. “You live there don’t you?”

Annabelle blushed She didn’t want to admit the thought of him going through her under things was a bit intimate. “I didn’t want to be an imposition. I umm… mostly just live out of a bag, but I do have some things hanging to dry…”

As soon as Bucky left the apartment Annabelle slowly and painfully made her way to the bathroom.

After tending to her immediate needs she decided to assess her appearance. One look at her face in his mirror told her it was precisely as bad as she thought it was. Her hair was a rat’s nest. She was positively filthy and covered in blood.

Her shirt was mere ribbons held together by a few threads, a wing and a prayer.

Annabelle knew she could do nothing about her clothes but she could at least clean herself up. Gently Annabelle pulled off what remained of her scrub top leaving her in what was once a white tank top. She took her top and running it under hot water she cleaned off the dried blood as best she could.

That done she began gently separating her curls and removing the knots. Unfortunately before she was half through she was exhausted and in so much pain she was panting.

And that was exactly how Bucky found her. Scooping her up at once he carried her back to the living room. “Draga, what were you doing?” He asked softly.

“I hate feeling grimy.” Annabelle confessed. “And the blood… I am not a big fan of blood.”

Bucky froze when Annabelle laid her head on his shoulder and placed her hand over his heart. It was his metal shoulder but it didn’t seem to bother her at all.

“Do you think you can manage to sit quietly in a chair without further damage while I change the sheets?” Bucky asked gently. Annabelle nodded.

Bucky changed the sheets quickly and after a moment’s thought decided to flip the mattress.

“I found something else in your office.” Bucky held up two bottles. No water needed soap and hair conditioner. Bucky scooped Annabelle up one more time and very carefully brought her to the bed and laid her against him. With gentle fingers he massaged the soap in to her skin followed by her skin cream and then washed and conditioned her hair. Once it was brushed until it gleamed he put on her softest pajamas. Annabelle finally felt human again and squeezed his hand. Once again he noticed it was his metal hand. She truly had formed her strongest bonds with things made of metal… he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Or if he should feel anything.

When Bucky lay her down for the first time Annabelle noticed a sleeping bundle on the floor. Looking from the floor to the bed she frowned.

“James…” Bucky looked up from fixing his dinner and heating her more broth. “Do you intend to sleep on the floor the entire time I am here?”

Bucky shrugged and put on a kettle for tea as well. “I have slept in worse places Annabelle, it is fine.”

“No it is most certainly not fine.” Bucky was fascinated by the way her eyes danced with indignation. “Taking care of a patient around the clock is exhausting. James Barnes you will either sleep in that bed with me or I will take the floor. There is plenty of room.”

“I have nightmares…” Bucky said staring at the bed.

“You have PTSD and I am a weirdo who loves robots and AIs we’ll manage. I will likely be comatose. I doubt I will notice James.” Annabelle crossed her arms.

Bucky slept in the bed.


	4. I Would Just Slow You Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky Nurses Annabelle Through Fever

****

Annabelle’s fever started just after midnight. Before then she had given Bucky instructions on exact dosing and times. She even set up her own IV port and showed him how to change the bags.

There were more intimate details he was going to have to see to, but Annabelle decided that she could just blush over those later. Right now she was going to have to be practical. It was so much easier to be the medical provider than the patient in these situations.

Bucky was glad Annabelle had insisted he sleep in the bed. Her body was so hot she actually convulsed while he held her. All he could do was make sure that she stayed hydrated and give her the antibiotics.

Then he remembered something. The one armed robot that would rub her back. He lay down beside her and gently stroked her with his metal hand. Slowly over her face and arms. After a bit Annabelle reached up and took hold of his hand. She entwined their fingers. That was odd. She had never mentioned the robot had a hand as well. It definitely brought her peace so Bucky didn’t care.

Annabelle’s fever raged for almost a week. She alternated between shaking so badly he had to hold her down and sweating profusely.

Most of the time she was incoherent and barely seemed to know who he was. He wanted to break down and take her to the hospital but he was afraid to move her. After watching the news on Sokovia he finally understood why she did not want her brother or any of the Avengers disturbed. What a cluster fuck that whole situation had been. From what he could tell they were still mopping up.

The fallout from that wasn’t over. Far from it. He hoped Steve was prepared for it but right now Bucky had his own problems to deal with. The news also mentioned the loss of the A.I Jarvis. Bucky hoped Annabelle had not seen that. She had enough to deal with.

Bucky had to change her bandages often but it did seem as though the infection was getting better. Now if the fever would just break.

On the sixth night she finally broke out in a healing sweat her temperature dropped and by the morning her sleep was normal.

After checking Annabelle’s IV bag and seeing that she was comfortable. Bucky fell in to his own exhausted sleep.

When he woke again it was dark and Annabelle was smiling down at him. “Hey there Soldier.” 

Bucky rubbed his eyes and looked around. He had slept more than twelve hours. Outside of cryo he had never slept that long. And he couldn’t remember any nightmares.

“You look…” Bucky decided to keep it mostly honest. “A lot better.”

“I feel a lot better.”Annabelle had woken up earlier and taken out her IV port.

Being awake while Bucky slept had given Annabelle a chance to study the man lying next to her. He looked so peaceful in sleep. Worry lines were smoothed away.

Annabelle took the chance that it would not disturb him and ran her hand up his metal arm. In a lot of ways she knew that this was not healthy. To be so attracted to those parts of him that he probably hated. But Annabelle would be the first to admit that she was a broken person and had been long before the Siberian Hostage situation went tits up.

Not that she would ever act on any attraction. This was a man who needed help and healing. Not a broken woman pawing at him. No, all she could and would offer him was friendship.

Bucky watched fascinated as all of these emotions played out over Annabelle’s face. He had no idea what was causing them, but the sadness when she looked at him finally almost did him in. He wanted nothing more than to pull her against him and then slowly murder whatever was making her sad.

But it had taken him a year and a half just to speak to her. Anything else was just unrealistic. And she deserved so much more than a broken ex-assassin who could barely remember his own name.

“What’s wrong, draga?” had he really just asked her that?

Unwilling to admit that truth Annabelle lay back down on her pillow. “Just still worn out I suppose. I thought I was going to get up and shower but…”

Bucky laughed a bit. “But you thought wrong. Let me fix breakfast. Poached egg and dry toast I think. Then we will see what else you can tolerate.”

Both pretended to believe the lie.

After they ate Bucky helped her change her bandages and seemed happy with the way her wounds were healing. “Much better, draga, not as angry and red. You will have to be careful for sometime but I think you are out of danger.”

Once again Bucky pulled Annabelle against him and helped her get clean. By the time he was done rubbing the lotion in her skin and brushing her hair Annabelle was sound asleep against his chest. Settling her more comfortable against him, Bucky reached for a book he had been reading and let her sleep. He knew that it brought Annabelle comfort to wrap herself around his metal arm so he offered that to her and she snuggled against it and let out a soft sigh.

Watching Annabelle sleep Bucky couldn’t help himself and pressed a very light kiss to the top of her head. This was all he would ever have of her but it was enough. He would make it be enough.

Over the next few days Annabelle grew stronger and was finally able to get up and take a shower. Bucky wrapped plastic film around her middle and worried the entire time, but she came out of his bathroom with such a delighted smile on her face he felt like shouting with joy. Instead he scowled at her and checked to make sure she had not got her bandage wet.

Later that day while flipping through the television channels Annabelle noticed Tony giving an MIT commencement speech.

“I… didn’t know they broadcast those here.” She murmured.

“Even in Romania the name Stark carries weight.” Bucky reminded her. “Something you counted on to fund your clinic.”

Annabelle put her hands over her face as she recognized the scene on the screen. “No, he wouldn’t. Not even Tony would do… this…”

A beautiful blonde woman is playing piano while a dark haired little girl sits next to her. Ringlets fall to the middle of her back. The woman sings “Try to remember the kind of September..When grass was green…”

“Mommy.” Annabelle whispered through her fingers. Bucky sat next to her. A hand on her knee.

“Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father.” Maria Stark called out.

“Who's the homeless person on the couch?” child Annabelle giggles.

“Daddy.” Annabelle chokes. Bucky thinks she remembers them more than she wants to admit.

Tony, wearing a Santa hat, staggers to his feet and chuckles. “This is why I love coming home for Christmas… right before you leave town.”

“Be nice, dear, he's been studying abroad.” Maria admonished.

“Really, which broad? What's her name?” Bucky noticed Annabelle had not taken her eyes off of her father.

“Candice.” Young Tony grinned.

Howard pulls of Tony's hat. “Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday.”

“Okay, so it's Monday. That is good to know. I will plan my toga party accordingly. Where you going?”

“Your father's flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway. And no toga parties, you promised to look after Annabelle.” Maria wagged her finger at her oldest child.

“That is what I have JARVIS for. Right JARVIS?” Tony spoke in to his wristband.

“Correct sir. I have downloaded age appropriate games and movies for the vacation.” Bucky’s chest tightened. Surely not even on Christmas…

“We might have to make a quick stop.” Howard murmured.

Young Tony sneered. “At the Pentagon. Right? Don't worry, you're gonna love the holiday menu at the commissary.”

Howard Stark sighed. “You know, they say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that's true, you'll be a great man some day. I'll get the bags. And do not leave your sister to an A.I. Spend Christmas with her.”

“What? She loves JARVIS. Don’t you kiddo?” Annabelle nodded looking at Tony like he was her hero.

Maria smiled lovingly at her son. “He does miss you when you are not here. And frankly, you're going to miss us. Because this is the last time we're all going to be together. You know what's about to happen. Say something. If you don't, you'll regret it.”

“I love you, Dad. And I know you did the best you could.” Annabelle had covered her eyes unable to watch more. Bucky reached out and wrapped an arm around her while she rocked back and forth.

Tony Stark addresses the crowd. “That's how I wished it happened. Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, or BARF. God, I gotta work on that acronym. An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to… clear traumatic memories. Huh. It doesn't change the fact that they never made it to the airport… or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, it doesn’t give my sister fewer nightmares, but… Plus, 611 million dollars for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in the right mind would've ever funded it. Help me out, what's the MIT mission statement? To generate, disseminate… and preserve knowledge. And work with others… to bring it to bear on the world's great challenges. Well, you are the others. And, quiet as it's kept… the challenges facing you are the greatest mankind's ever known. Plus, most of you are broke. Oh, I'm sorry. Rather, you were. As of this moment… every student has been made an equal recipient of the Inaugural September Foundation Grant. As in… all of your projects have just been approved and funded. No strings, no taxes… just reframe the future! Starting now.”

The teleprompter above the audience reads. 'Now I would like to introduce the head of the foundation: Pepper Potts.' Tony stares at it sadly.

Tony continues without further comments “Go break some eggs.”

The room was silent as a tomb. Bucky expected Annabelle to cry. To break down. To maybe even hit something. He would have hit something. Repeatedly. Annabelle did none of those things. After a moment she pulled her hands from her face and took a deep shuddering breath and let it out.

“I forget sometimes how far back JARVIS and I really go.” She smiled weakly.

“Are you alright, draga?” Bucky put a hand on her shoulder.

“No, not really. The worst part is, I don’t even know how much of that is real and how much is just Tony’s perception of reality.” Annabelle shrugged. “But my father. I think I would have really liked him.”

Bucky searched for the right words to say. “He would have been proud of you.” He guessed he had said the right thing when Annabelle put her head on his shoulder. The flesh one this time.

The next day Annabelle was cleaning the apartment while Bucky went and did some quick shopping. The news came on and showed the bombing of the U.N. building in Vienna.

The door flew open as Bucky came in.

Annabelle turned to him. “James you need to see this!”

“A bomb hidden in a news van…” Bucky was already throwing items in a bag. Her bag.

“…ripped through the UN building in Vienna.” Annabelle had no idea why but she had a really bad feeling about this. Bucky had not said a word.

“More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent, linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations.” Annabelle’s head spun. King T’Chaka? No! How could that be? He was a good, kind and just man! T’Challa and Shuri would be devastated she needed to call them. But wait..!

“James! They think YOU…” Bucky turned to her with a grim look.

Annabelle understood at once. They had to go. Now. And separately.

Annabelle walked forward and took her bag.

“I want to go with you.” Annabelle told him softly. Holding up a hand when he started to object. “But I know in my condition I would slow you down. Hell, even in my top physical condition I could not keep up, but right now I would be a liability. But I need you to know, I WANT to go with you.”

Bucky nodded tightly. “I am going to get you down to the basement. We need to leave separately but I don’t want you carrying this downstairs.”

They quickly made their way down the lift to the basement. Bucky knew they did not have much time Due to the delay in reporting it was likely the authorities were already on their way. Even if he had not suspected he had been made by the news stand boy. He hadn’t wanted to frighten Annabelle but he was certain there would be a fight and he was not completely certain he would walk away from this one.

But she would and that was what was important.

When they got to the basement Annabelle turned to Bucky and stared at him as if trying to memorize every feature on his face. “Let me know that you are alive please?”

Bucky nodded. “I will find a way to contact you.”

“And I will find a way to help.” Annabelle promised. “Not the government, they won’t care, but I have other friends who will.” Nick Fury would help. And he would believe her. He always did.

“Go.” Bucky held the door open. “I will find you again.” He promised.


	5. Berlin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is arrested and Annabelle has to convince someone that he did not kill the Wakandan King. And not bleeding out on the floor would be nice too.

****

The chase was not at all subtle. Annabelle had barely made it to her clinic when the battle began. There was no doubt in her mind that James was involved but peeking outside was that… Sam? Flying overhead in his falcon suit?

And more importantly… was that the Wakandan Black Panther? On the roof? Oh this had ALL gone tits up! T’Challa, and he must be the one wearing it, believed Bucky was responsible and she had no way to get word to him that she had been with Bucky the entire time.

At least Steve had shown up. He would calm everything down, because that was what Captain America did. He was the voice of reason. He would calm the entire situation down and hold the line until she got there and could explain everything.

Annabelle gave up thanks for small miracles that her scooter was still where she left it. Kicking it in to gear she gave chase after the authorities who were hot on the trail of… everyone.

Annabelle kept up her belief that Steve would have everything under control right up until the moment she got on scene and found that Rhodey was there calling Steve a criminal, Bucky was in cuffs and so were T’Challa and Sam.

“James…” Annabelle whispered, horrified. There was no way he could have heard her, but somehow he must have sensed her presence and looked straight at her with a warning shake of his head.

Annabelle was in no mood to be warned off. Digging around in her bag for her credentials she clipped her badge to her waist band and walked up.

“Halt!” the police kept calling in Romanian. She ignored them with a sneer and pointed to her badge.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. get out of my way or I will have you demoted and deported somewhere unpleasant.” Bucky almost grinned. So those were the friends she was talking about. He had thought S.H.I.E.L.D. was disbanded. Either no one told Annabelle or she didn’t give a damned. It could go either way with her.

Or maybe it wasn’t as gone as everyone thought. With S.H.I.E.L.D. that was probably the most likely case.

Whatever the situation with S.H.I.E.L.D. was the officers moved. As Annabelle approached Rhodey he took off his helmet. “Annabelle.”

Annabelle was having none of it. She delivered a slap that sent his head reeling. “That is Agent Stark to you, War Machine. You disloyal son of a bitch. How DARE you be involved in the arrests of Steve, Sam, a Wakandan Prince and interfere in my ongoing investigation in to the Winter Soldier? I expect that crap from these idiots.” Annabelle jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “I expect better from you.”

“The Sokovian Accords…” Rhodey started.

“What the absolute fuck are you talking about?” Annabelle channeled her inner Nick Fury. “And make it fast I don’t have time for this crap, I have to spend that time fixing your fuck up.”

“Uhhhh…” Rhodey wasn’t sure what to say and he damned well didn’t want to be the one to say it. Annabelle was known as a mean bitch when riled. And she looked pretty riled now. “Your brother is on board to sign. 117 countries want the Avengers to no longer be a private entity and there will be consequences for…”

“Consequences? You want to talk about consequences?” Annabelle shouted. “You will be goddamned lucky if I don’t repossess your suit and leave you standing here in your skivvies asshole.”

“Technically this suit belongs to Stark Industries…” Rhodey made the mistake of saying.

“Who the fuck do you think owns half of Stark Industries, asshole?” Annabelle glared until Rhodey shut up. “Here give me that.” Annabelle grabbed the helmet out of his hand and punched in a few codes. “There now you are incommunicado. Maybe that will shut you up for awhile.

Rounding her anger on the others. “And you two!” She pointed a finger at Steve and Sam like they were bad children. “I expect a full report when this is over. And if ANY of you assholes so much as breathe a word of my investigation before I have reported in, and that includes to my brother, I will make you sorry you ever met me.”

Turning to T’Challa who seemed amused by her outburst, Annabelle crossed her arms over her chest. “Your Highness, _Shikamo_.*”

T’Challa inclined his head. “ _Marahaba, Kauli*”_

Very few knew that Annabelle had learned how to control her abilities from T’Challa’s sister Shuri and that for a time she had considered them a second family. But this was not the time to renew those bonds.

Glaring at the officer who seemed in charge of the take down. “Damage my investigation by damaging its subject,” Annabelle pointed at Bucky “And I will slow roast your balls over cow dung.”

Bucky was worried. He had noticed Annabelle grab her side more than once. Had she started bleeding again?

Annabelle whisked out her phone as she stalked out and punched in a number. “Nick… I need help.”

In four hours Annabelle was in Berlin awaiting the arrival of Steve, Bucky, Sam and T’Challa.

Picking up her phone again Annabelle knew who she had to call next. “Tony. It’s me.”

“Where the hell have you been?” Tony started shouting immediately. “You have been out of touch for two months, No calls no…”

“I am sorry Tony, I was shot.” Annabelle winced at his angry tone.

“You were WHAT?! Where are you?” His tone instantly changed. “What hospital? What goddamned country? I will be right there.”

“I am OK now Tony…” Annabelle interrupted him. “Mostly. I got an infection. I was really sick for awhile but I am better. I am in Berlin. Do you think you could pick me up? Please? I mean, I can take a taxi I know you are pretty busy and all, if you could just have JARVIS tell me where you are. Hey, why hasn’t JARVIS broke in yet to give me hell?”

“You won’t be taking a taxi. And I don’t have a suit here. Well, I do. It's a lovely Tom Ford, three-piece, two-button.” Annabelle laughed. It made her side hurt. “And anyway I am trying out a new A.I. Friday. I think you will like her.”

“Her right.” Annabelle gave him the address of the hotel she was at. “And hey Tony?”

“Yeah kiddo?” Annabelle could hear Tony walking at a pretty brisk pace and ignoring everyone talking to him.

“I love you. And I know you did the best you could too.” Annabelle said quietly. With everything that had happened she knew nothing was guaranteed and she didn’t want there to be any unspoken words.

Tony was quiet for a second. “Saw that huh? Thanks kiddo. I love you too. Be there in a few.”

When they got back to the embassy the first person Annabelle saw was Steve. Running forward she grabbed him around the waist. “Thank God you are OK. They didn’t hurt you did they? Fuck that Rhodey calling you a criminal!”

“He committed a crime Annabelle, and stop slapping War Machine. It makes us all look bad.” Tony sighed behind her. “And for gosh sake watch your language!”

“Rhodey deserved to be slapped. He is lucky I didn’t do worse than turn off his communicator.” Annabelle crossed her arms.

“And don’t think we aren’t going to discuss this further _Agent Stark_.” Tony glared at Annabelle.

Annabelle shrugged. “I am still an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“There is no S.H.I.E.L.D.” Tony reminded her.

“Says you. Just because YOU weren’t invited to the fancy parties, don’t kid yourself brother.” Annabelle laughed. “But now, I have a mission to finish.”

“Mission?” Tony stopped Annabelle with a frown. “You don’t get a mission. You get a hospital room with around the clock care.”

Annabelle kissed his cheek. “Later, I promise. Right now I have to find T’Challa.”

It was not long before she found his entire entourage, including Okoye, the general she had fond memories of hunting and camping with.

“Okoye!” Annabelle stepped forward happily only to be met with the general’s icy cold stare.

“What do you wish _Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D_.” Okoye glared at Annabelle.

Annabelle stepped back in shock. “Okoye.. what have I done?”

“You have protected and shielded the murderer of our king.” Okoye spat at Annabelle. “Do you really believe I will allow you near our new king?”

Annabelle looked from Okoye in to the impassive features of T’Challa. She knew she had approached this all wrong. These were not her friends at the moment. These were a king and his general.

As much as it physically hurt her to do so, and Annabelle knew her wounds had reopened she could feel the blood running down her side, she slowly sank to the ground and sat on her knees bowing. Cupping her two hands Annabelle clapped them together twice. “ _Pole sana,_ _tafadhali nisamehe, shikamo_.”

T’Challa was silent for a long time before he finally responded. “ _Marahaba_.”

“Annabelle what are you doing down there!” Natasha could be heard shouting, but the worry in her voice was evident to everyone.

“I am alright, Tasha.” Annabelle explained. “I made a mistake. I am correcting it.”

“Yes, she is.” Okoye’s sneer was also evident. “How is that your business. Kauli has come to speak to the King.”

“Because she is bleeding out on the goddamned floor that is how it is my business.” And suddenly Natasha was there. “Silly girl why would you go all the way down there? I am too old for this.”

Annabelle’s vision was blurring but there was someone else in front of her. “Kauli, what have you done to yourself now? Shuri will certainly kill me if I let anything bad happen to you.”

And suddenly the king was gone and only Annabelle’s friend T’Challa remained. “T’Challa, _naumwa hapa*._ ” Annabelle held her side. “I was shot. It is not healing well. I had _homa*_.”

“Okoye, the Daktari*” T’Challa ordered. “Hold on Kauli, put pressure on it.” He handed her his coat.

Annabelle grabbed T’Challa’s hand. “T’Challa please, in case I can’t say it later. Bucky… James… he did not kill your father.”

“Then why did he run, little one?” T’Challa asked softly. “You trust too easily, little sister.”

“He ran because you chased, Panther.” Annabelle whispered. “Not all who run are prey.”

“How do you know he is not responsible?” T’Challa asked. “You have a very tender heart, many would feast on it. It is one of the reasons we call you a gazelle.”

“I have been with him for almost two years, every day.” Annabelle explained. “He could not have. We have never been near Vienna and when your father… James was treating my gunshot. He was busy saving my life T’Challa.”

“You tailed the Winter Soldier for two years!” Natasha was outraged or impressed. It was hard to tell.

“The gazelle is fast.” T’Challa laughed. “The wolf would only catch her if she allowed it.”

Annabelle was hospitalized for a full week before Tony was satisfied she was out of danger. Due to her illness the Accord would not be signed until she was out of the hospital out of respect. And Tony’s unwillingness to handle any sort of business while his sister was in the hospital.

Annabelle had sent Steve on a special mission and was waiting on pins and needles for him to return.

When he did, it was not good news. “He said no, Annabelle.”

Annabelle had not expected this. “What do you mean he said no?! Did you explain that I can help him? That my abilities are entirely centered around the mind and…”

“Annabelle…” Steve interrupted. “Buck isn’t going to allow anyone to muck about in his mind, not even you. His words, not mine. I’m sorry.”

Annabelle was furious “The authorities still have him tied down like an animal and he is choosing now to be stubborn?!”

Steve grinned. “If he wasn’t so stubborn you probably wouldn’t like him so much.”

Annabelle blushed furiously. “I… what? Who said anything about….? That is completely not the point Steven Rogers!”

“Very eloquent I say we have her writing all of our press releases.” Natasha grinned from the door.

“Shut up Romanov. Shut up so hard.” Annabelle took a drink of water just for something else, anything else, to do.

Steve got serious. “It is going to be OK, Annabelle, Tony hired a doctor, Broussard. He will look after Buck, and then probably get him in a decent treatment facility and…”

“And he will be forgotten there,” Annabelle looked in to her glass sadly. “I could have actually fixed him.”

Steve and Natasha looked at each other. This might be more than “like”.

“OK.” Annabelle looked up. “Tell me about this Accord bullshit Tony has got everyone caught up in.”

** Some Swahili Words **

Hahari - Hello

Nzuri - I am fine

Shikamo "I hold your feet" greeting to elders

Marahaba "I am delighted I don't get that every day" (response to Shikamo)

Asante - Thank you

Pole pole = slowly, slowly

Ndiyo / Hapana - yes/no

Hatari - Danger

naumwa hapa- It hurts here

Homa - Fever

Daktari - doctor

tafadhali- please

Pole sana - very sorry

Kauli - gazelle


	6. 25%

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle drives a hard bargain with Tony. Some may even call it extortion. But then, she is a Stark.

****

On her last day in the hospital all of the Avengers except for Bruce and Thor showed up. No one had heard from either in a while. Thor was probably handling things in Asgard but Bruce… He was a concern.

When they arrived the discovered Annabelle was not alone. In a chair with his legs stretched out comfortably before him was S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury. Across the room in other chairs were S.H.I.E.L.D. attorneys going over the Sokovian Accord with intense focus. Other S.H.I.E.L.D. staff were looking over numbers and images from every Avenger mission to date.

Annabelle smiled as the Avengers filed in. Tony was wary.

“Tony don’t be so suspicious. Nick doesn’t bite.” Annabelle almost laughed at the way Tony’s jaw tightened. He hated it when Annabelle called Director Fury “Nick” but it was allowed because Fury knew that official labels made Annabelle very nervous and she did not work as well.

“What is going on here?” Tony finally asked.

“An unbiased opinion.” Annabelle brightly proclaimed, waving her arm to encompass everyone in the room. “I have no stake in the Accords, I will absolutely never sign them, I am an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D and S.H.I.E.L.D has no stake in them, because… well… S.H.I.E.L.D. And if you had agreed to play nice with S.H.I.E.L.D you wouldn’t have had to worry but you didn’t so…”

“S.H.I.E.L.D has been disbanded.” Natasha called from the doorway.

“Apparently we just don’t get invited to the parties.” Tony snarked.

Ignoring the bickering Steve stepped forward. “And what has this unbiased opinion found?’

“A lot of grand plans to make you the poster boy again, Captain America, I hope you remember that snappy salute.” Commander Maria Hill pushed in from the door.

“Hey Anna, haven’t seen you since our girls night out before you left.” Maria brought over a box of chocolates. “How was the Winter Soldier? Just as hot up close as he was far away? And that metal arm. Still do it for you?”

“And now I have to have MY memory wiped.” Tony shuddered.

Steve and Natasha just raised their eyebrows and smirked.

“Later Maria.” Annabelle air kissed her friend’s cheek. “MUCH later.”

“Can we get back to the poster boy part?” Steve put an end to the speculation about his best friend’s metal arm.

“These Accords do not allow you to make a move without the signatures of all 117 countries, many of whom are actively at war with one another and not allowed to sign documents ratifying any agreements without a year long legal battle.”

“A year.” Sam pushed himself way from the door. “The Avengers will functionally cease to exist.”

“That is their entire goal Sam.” Fury spoke up for the first time. “To be seen as affecting safety while not actually affecting anything at all.”

“Did you know about this Tony?” Natasha asked anger in her voice.

“After they are signed I intend to push for change.” Tony held up his hands defensively.

“That is a yes then.” Steve rubbed his face. “Just when we thought we could trust you.”

Everyone started shouting then. Annabelle just held her hand out to her brother who finally sighed and came and sat down next to her.

“What is really going on Tony?” Annabelle asked quietly once the shouting had stopped. “And why isn’t Pepper here putting a stop to this?”

Tony looked at his hands "We're kinda… Well, not kinda… We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault."

Annabelle noticed how rehearsed this sounded. "I see..."

Tony looked at Annabelle miserably.

"Come on Tony." Annabelle pleaded, “Talk to me. Really talk to me this time."

"A few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up HYDRA… and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference." Tony stood up and paced "In her defense, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and mom always made it work."

Annabelle looked down. "I don't remember Daddy... but... the wildest thing he had to deal with was... well.... Steve."

Tony and Steve both laughed at this. Annabelle grabbed Tony’s hand and made him look at her again. “No offense Tony, but… fuck Pepper Potts.” Tony looked like he wanted to argue but Annabelle cut him off. “Since I was five you have been all I had. With this…” Annabelle covered his heart with her hand “and Afghanistan I have been terrified every time you leave the house. But I never once have tried to hold you back. And if anyone had a right it was _me_. Not Pepper and damned sure not these Accords.”

Tony Laughed. "I promise, I had a plan. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated…”

Steve spoke up at this. "Wanda? What about Wanda?"

Tony rubbed his face. "She's fine. She's confined to the compound, currently. Vision's keeping her company."

No one responded when Annabelle asked who Vision was.

Steve was bloody furious. "Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you see things the right way…"

Tony immediately got defensive "What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people."

Steve was having none of it. "Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony."

Tony pointed out the obvious "She's not a US citizen."

Steve looked a little unsure at that. "Oh, come on, Tony."

"And they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction." Annabelle was shocked at this outburst.

Steve got right up in Tony's face "She's a kid!"

Tony did not back down "GIVE ME A BREAK! I'm doing what has to be done… to stave off something worse."

Nick stood up. “Not to break up the love fest or anything but do you want to see how these governments have fudges the numbers and what they are keeping from the people to make you look like the bad guys or do you want me to take my people and my agent.” Fury motioned to Annabelle. “And leave?”

“And we are taking Wanda and James with us.” Annabelle reached for Fury’s hand. “Please Nick?”

“Well, one of those might be a tall order…” Fury looked down at Annabelle’s small frame.

Annabelle smiled. “You are Nick Fury. You get shit done.”

Fury grinned. “Well, with an endorsement like that how can I say no?”

One of the agents stood up and handed Steve a paper. Steve frowned and then passed it around.

“Are these numbers accurate?” Natasha asked.

“Not only are they accurate we have evidence they were ran by the governments who are condemning you and purposefully hidden.” Maria Hill informed her.

The first paper showed the earth after the full brunt of the Chitauri attack had the Avengers not stepped in. The devastation was in the billions. It was unlikely humans would have recovered in centuries. If ever.

While the other statistics were not as dramatic, every one of them showed exponentially worse numbers. Sokovia, no survivors. Untold deaths as Ultron spread.

Vienna, Rumlow’s bomb would have killed hundreds, not a dozen.

“You are being controlled by fear Tony.” Annabelle sat up in bed straighter with Maria’s help. “I don’t know what controls the people behind these Accords, but I know one or the other of us needs complete authority to act.”

Tony looked at Annabelle suspiciously. “And what does that mean exactly?”

The attorney’s handed Tony papers. “It means I am willing to give up half of my controlling interest in Stark Industries to you. With 75% you can act exactly as you see fit…”

Tony laughed “I always have.”

“So far.” Annabelle folded her hands serenely. Tony looked at her suspiciously. “But if the people of the world cannot rely on the Avengers we will rely on S.H.I.E.L.D. I will be disentangling my half of Stark Industries and restarting our weapons manufacturing under the direction of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Tony stared at his sister mouth agape. “You wouldn’t!”

Annabelle shrugged. “You will have left me with very few options.”

“You would have to have the sign off of the Board.” Tony grinned, knowing he would easily put this down.

His face paled when she pulled out another paper with the necessary signatures.

“You don’t have the people you need, I fired them long ago.” Tony smirked. “Solve that.”

“When you fired them I had them all moved over to my medical research facilities.”Annabelle said quietly.

Tony was furious. “You had no right.”

“They needed jobs Tony.” Annabelle was unapologetic. “They create medical technology. Cutting edge.”

“How can you do this?” Tony shouted. “You know how important shutting down weapons manufacturing was to me.”

“You once vowed if you could not defend the Earth you would avenge it. How can I do any less?” Annabelle squeezed Tony’s hand.

Tony threw up his hands “NOW she listens.”

Annabelle looked up at the brother she adored beyond all reason. “I was always listening Tony. I was just waiting for you to talk to me.”


	7. Hydra's Winter Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zemo speaks the words triggering the Winter Soldier. Steve's words come back to personally bite him in the ass.

****

In the end Tony signed the right forms. There would be no Sokovian Accord.

“But you have to be the one to hold the press conference and tell Ross.” Tony warned Annabelle on his way out.

Natasha laughed in to her hand. “That should be no problem. Steve and I were already discussing how she should deliver all of our press releases.”

Annabelle threw an empty Styrofoam cup at Natasha’s back.

Soon it was just Steve and Annabelle left. Fury took his team and left from the hospital promising to come back if she needed him.

Everyone else had taken Annabelle back to the Embassy to wait for the press conference.

“OK, what do you have on Director Fury that he comes running when you call?” Steve asked only half joking as soon as they were alone. “It must be some good blackmail material.”

“Can’t Nick just help me because he likes me?” Annabelle asked laughing.

“He could, but he isn’t and he won’t.” Steve crossed his arms. “So what gives?”

“Ummm…. Calling myself agent isn’t exactly all fake out.” Annabelle confessed.

Steve sat down hard. “After last time? Are you sure? Does Tony know? Does Bucky?”

Annabelle winced. “We know a lot more about my limitations now and no, Tony doesn’t know. But if you keep screaming I am quite sure my assistant in Bucharest will hear you and email him! And why would I tell James?’

“Because clearly something happened between you two that neither of you is talking about.” Steve looked down at her kindly. The way Annabelle sometimes wished Tony would. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nothing happened between us. NOTHING.” Annabelle stated firmly at Steve’s disbelieving look. “We are friends. Maybe he is even my best human friend. I am… broken Steve. I am not sure I am healthy for anyone. James needs help. And healing. Not someone else’s baggage added to his.”

“Funny.” Steve patted her leg. “That was pretty much what Bucky said to me about you. Right before he threatened to rearrange my punk face if I carried out a threat.”

Annabelle did not like Steve’s smirk. “What threat was that specifically?”

Steve grinned. “I told him if he didn’t do something about his unresolved feelings for you when he got free I would do something about mine.”

Annabelle gasped. “Why would you do that?! And what unresolved feelings? We went on one date, it was awful. And aren’t you seeing Sharon?”

Steve’s ears turned pink at Sharon’s name. “First our date wasn’t awful. It was nice. We just didn’t suit each other. Second Sharon and I are… not quite seeing each other. Yet. And I did it because in all of the years I have known him Bucky has never once allowed anyone to call him James.”

Annabelle was confused. “So?”

“So his father’s name was George. Only his mother got to call his father George.” Steve grinned at the look on Annabelle’s face.

About an hour later just as Annabelle was finishing getting dressed to take a stroll around the Embassy gardens when everything went dark. All lights went out.

Tony went running past Annabelle and shoved her in to a room. “Stay there. Don’t come out. Lock the door.”

“Wait…” Annabelle called. “Is it James?! A locked door won’t help! But I can! Let me find him”

That was precisely the wrong thing to say. Tony jammed something against the door.

It took Annabelle fifteen minutes to wiggle through the vents to the next room and open the door. Stopping she reached out. It was the Winter Soldier alright. His emotions and thoughts were basic. Right now they were: escape, neutralize anyone who tries to stop you. But he was looking for someone.

Annabelle knew that he was close. Setting out at a run she was just in time to see Steve climb to the roof from a nearby set of stairs and go over a ledge. The Black Panther was keeping him from hurting people.

Annabelle began to climb, vowing to herself for not the first time, to get in to shape.

On the roof Annabelle could not believe what she was seeing. James was trying to leave in a helicopter and Steve was literally holding him back.

“James!” Annabelle cried, knowing there was no way he could hear her. But just like before, he knew she was there. But this was no longer Bucky. This was the Winter Soldier. And Annabelle knew without a doubt that she was who he had been looking for. In spite of the situation her heart flipped over.

Looking from her to Steve she could almost see the wheels turning. “No… NO! James, it wasn’t true!” Annabelle screamed. “There was nothing…”

It didn’t matter. The Soldier put that helicopter down on its side with one goal in mind. Utterly obliterate his rival.

The helicopter ground to a halt inches it seemed from tearing Steve apart.

The Soldier looked up once again in to Annabelle’s eyes. “Please… please stop. There has never been anything. Please… if there could be anyone it would be y…”

Nothing she said mattered. As long as Steve was on the roof with them the soldier would not stop. He could have easily escaped if that was his intent by going out the door in to the water below. This had gone beyond that. Steve and his stupid big mouth.

The Soldier’s metal hand shot out and grabbed Steve by the throat, to choke the life out of him probably. Annabelle cursed her out of shape body and started running forward again. Before Annabelle had made it halfway across the helipad the whole helicopter with Steve and James went over the side falling to the water below.

“James!!!” Annabelle screamed. Running to the edge she was just in time to see the tail slip under water. Looking down Annabelle knew she wasn’t going down that way.

“Shitshitshitshit.” Annabelle mumbled as once again she made her way back across the helipad and down the stairs. Getting her bearings she could tell that James was on the move but not whether by choice or if someone was with him. Only that he was alive. And that was enough.

Twenty minutes of panting and painful, cursing running later and Annabelle found herself in an empty warehouse. Sitting in a chair with his metal arm in a vice was James.

Annabelle ran forward when she was stopped by Sam. “Don’t we don’t know who or what…”

“Sam...” Annabelle hissed. “Take your hand off of me. You don’t want him waking up right now.”

Reluctantly, Sam did, deciding to let Steve handle this shit. The bastard was out cold anyway.

Annabelle continued forward in a hurry only stopping when she got to James. He was just coming to. Dropping to her knees Annabelle looked in to his face. “Hey there Soldier.” She whispered softly.

Smiling down in to her eyes Bucky teased “You just can’t stay out of trouble can you?”

Annabelle winked. “I was led astray by a blue eyed Romanian angel.”

Steve walked in to the room behind them. He knew better than to assume he was talking to Bucky and not the Winter Soldier. He had seen the way the Winter Soldier had responded to Annabelle. No matter what she said, there was something there alright. Something lethal to anyone who got between them as far as the Winter Soldier was concerned. “Which Bucky am I talking to?”

James never took his eyes off of Annabelle. "Your mom's name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes."

Steve chuckled a little. "Can't read that in a museum."

Sam was not as easily convinced. "Just like that, we're supposed to be cool?"

"No, we aren’t." Annabelle looked over her shoulder at him. "I am sorry, Falcon, I shouldn't have spoken to you that way."

Sam looked embarrassed. "Aw, Anna, it wasn't you I meant, we're cool."

Bucky looked down. "What did I do?"

Steve looked grim. "Enough."

Bucky sounded so broken Annabelle wanted to escape with him back to Bucharest immediately. "Oh, God, I knew this would happen. Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words."

"We'll get them out." Annabelle promised.

Bucky nodded. "But first, take your shirt off."

Steve and Same both wanted to know what the hell he thought he was doing.

Annabelle just hissed at him. "No James, I am absolutely NOT taking my shirt off. Steve and Sam are here."

Bucky was not letting it go. "Then blush all day tomorrow. But I am absolutely examining you."

Annabelle tried again. "Can't you just take my word for it?"

Bucky rolled his eyes. "No, because you lie about your own health."

"You really do." Sam supplied unhelpfully. Annabelle glared back at him.

"Fine I will lift it up. But I am NOT taking it off. You stubborn prick." Annabelle grumbled.

"Whoa!" Bucky chuckled. "Do you kiss your robot with that mouth?"

After assuring himself that she was alright and not in danger of bleeding out, although he did seem to think a couple of the stitches would need to be redone, Bucky was satisfied and dropped her shirt. Annabelle did not miss the look between Sam and Steve. "Shut up." she grumbled.

"Now that we know Annabelle is alright." Steve continued. "Who was he?"

Bucky looked off thinking "I don't know."

Steve looked frustrated. "People are dead. The bombing, the setup. The doctor did all that just to get 10 minutes with you. I need you to do better than "I don't know."

Bucky looked up. "He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where."

Everyone looked at each other confused. Steve was the first to ask. "Why would he need to know that?

Bucky looked as serious as Annabelle had ever seen him. "Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

After Annabelle had released Bucky from the vice and sat next to him the story he told next was the most horrifying of her life. She had to listen to how the man she had grown to lo… very fond of had been forced to kill her parents so that what had been done to him could be done to others. Was done.

Annabelle never spoke a word. But she also never let go of Bucky’s hand. That was pretty telling to Steve. Sam thought it was an advanced case of shock and wanted to take her away.

When he was done speaking Annabelle looked up at Sam and Steve and said two words. “Get out.”

It took a few moments of Annabelle glaring at them and not speaking, but after telling her they would be right outside if she needed them, they left the pair alone.

Looking at the ground Annabelle finally said. “On my first mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. I got a lot of people killed. People with families to go home to. I screwed up. It was my job to bring them home safely and I failed.”

Bucky looked up at her confused. “I am not ready to talk about it. Not just to you, to anyone. What you did, saying all of that? It took a level of bravery I doubt I will ever possess. The doctors they sent in made it worse. So much worse. It was entirely my fault. Because I was arrogant and weak. What happened to you… It was done against your will. You were the weapon, not the wielder. I doubt that is much comfort. But… if it helps… I don’t blame you.”

“How can you not?” Bucky asked his voice choked with pain.

“One of the family members of the people that I was responsible for the deaths of… they found out who I was. They cornered me. By the time they were done with me I was emotionally destroyed.” Annabelle whispered. “My abilities have been erratic since then. There are some, like healing, I can use a great deal and effectively. T’Challa, the Black Panther? His sister Shuri is also a healer. She taught me to control them. Others, I can contain, unless there is too much stress, then sometimes… I have an episode.”

Bucky frowned. “An episode?”

“I..” Annabelle froze “I would rather not talk about it.” Bucky nodded. “Before that I used to be able to feel a great connection to someone. I would know where they were how they were feeling. It never mattered the distance. But now…”

“Now you can’t… but Steve thought you could, that was why he thought you could track me.” Bucky guessed.

“I couldn’t.” Annabelle corrected. “That changed. A little over eighteen months ago.”

Bucky sighed and laid his head against her abdomen. “What happened to the person who attacked you?”

“Nothing.” Annabelle whispered. “I never told anyone until now.”


	8. Annabelle's Winter Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out the code words aren't the only thing that summon the Winter Soldier.

“Can you move your seat up?”

“No.”

Annabelle had been listening to Sam and James bickering all day. In their own way. Neither really said much. Just short sentences meant to annoy the other one.

“Sam, would you please move just enough so that I can get comfortable?” Annabelle asked.

“Anything for you, Anna.” Sam grinned.

Steve was outside talking to Sharon. Annabelle felt bad for them. Hopefully things would calm down enough that they could make a go of things.

Sam scooted forward, Bucky moved over and Annabelle curled up on the seat with her head in Bucky’s lap wrapping herself around his metal arm.

Annabelle noticed both Bucky and Sam had gone quiet. More quiet. And Bucky had leaned forward.

Annabelle giggled. “Did Steve finally make his move?” She felt Bucky’s rumble of laughter against her back. “I will take that as a yes. Good for him. He and Sharon have been doing this will they/won’t they thing for a long time.”

Sam laughed from the front seat. “I am guessing they will.”

“It isn’t Steve’s fault.” Bucky chuckled. “The punk has no moves. Are… you ok with this Annabelle?”

“With Steve and Sharon? Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Annabelle tried to sound genuinely puzzled. “She is good for him. He has been pretty lonely.”

Bucky was careful to keep his tone neutral. “I was just under the impression there might be something there between you two…”

“You always keep your buddy’s girl’s head in your lap?” Sam sniped from the front seat.

“Well since Steve and I have always _just_ been friends and _never_ anything else, and James and I are not doing anything inappropriate back here, Sam, I think we are fine.” Annabelle said with a warning.

Sam did not heed the warning. “Yeah, well how come you are wrapped up around that arm of his like it is your beloved Dum-E or your lifeline… or something?”

“Because it WAS Sam.” Annabelle snapped. “I almost died and James took care of me. And knowing that I was more used to JARVIS and Dum-E he rubbed my back with his metal arm while I was delirious and he was saving my life after a gunman gut shot me. So yeah, I might be having an attachment issue right now. Do you have an issue with that?”

Sam had the good sense to look ashamed. “No, yeah, that was… we’re good...”

Bucky smirked at him. “And I would do it all over again, draga. Any time. My metal arm is your metal am.”

“Just as long as you keep the metal fingers where we can all see them.” Sam glared through the rear view mirror.

Bucky had gone very still. “Why are you jealous?”

Annabelle could hear the timber of his voice start to change. “No, Sam is most certainly NOT jealous. Sam has a lovely girlfriend who is most certainly not me.” Annabelle only relaxed again when Bucky did.

Steve who had just got in the car and heard the last bit of the conversation lightened the mood by saying “Well, at least he wasn’t Butterfingers.”

Annabelle laughed. “That is true. The one time Butterfingers tried to pat me on the back he shoved me off of the couch. That bruise lasted for weeks. That ended his training. It was just me, Dum-E and JARVIS after that. I sure miss JARVIS. I can’t wait to finish our chess game. I have had two years to think about my next move. I wish Tony wasn’t playing with his new toy this week. Friday, what a ridiculous name.”

Sam, Steve and Bucky shared a look of horror at this revelation. Annabelle still had no idea JARVIS was gone. “I hope she takes to Vision.” Steve thought worried.

“So uhh… you and Sharon huh?” Sam changed the subject.

That made Steve a bumbling teenager right away. “Yeah… well... it was about time and…”

“Good for you Steve.” Annabelle broke in. “I really like Sharon. She’s good for you.”

Steve smiled. “Thanks Anna, I think so too.”

“And even better for us.” Sam laughed. “She got our gear back. I don’t want my flight suit in the hands of anyone who calls it a bird costume. Government bastards.”

Everyone laughed at that and the tension was broken.

“Sleep, Draga.” Bucky murmured. “There is a lot to be done today.”

Annabelle nodded and rolled to her side to get more comfortable. Snuggled underneath his metal arm she immediately fell asleep. Bucky had his hand cupped possessively around her hip. Neither was missed by the two men up front.

“She uhhh… didn’t seem really concerned that you might be full Winter Soldier when she went in to the warehouse.” Sam said quietly. “That is… pretty curious isn’t it?”

“No.” Bucky looked out the window.

“Well… Why the hell isn’t it curious?” Sam probed keeping his voice down.

“Sam…” Steve warned.

“No,” Sam held up a hand. “Annabelle goes off for two years, returns with a brain washed HYDRA assassin that she isn’t afraid of, and you aren’t curious about why she isn’t afraid when he unleashes the damned beast?”

“Annabelle has been with me many times when I have become the Winter Soldier.” Bucky met Sam’s eyes in the mirror. “Which of us do you think saved her from the gun man? Annabelle knows she is in no danger from me.”

“Why would... why would any part of Annabelle be OK with any part of this?” Sam asked, not unkindly just confused. The Annabelle he knew hated any kind of violence.

Steve looked back at the sleeping woman who was quite peaceful in the lap of an assassin. More than peaceful. Happy. “I don’t think for Annabelle there is any real difference. Except for what he remembers. And she probably considers forgetting a blessing.” Bucky made no comment.

“And that makes her OK with this?” Sam looked at Steve confused. “With him?”

“The weapon.” Bucky murmured.

“What was that Buck?” Steve looked back.

“She called me the weapon. Not the wielder. I think, for Annabelle, THAT is the difference.” The three men were silent after that.

A few miles later when going under an overpass they heard a pop and the car listed. “Blew a tire.” Steve explained. “I hope we have a spare.”

“That was no simple blown tire.” Bucky pushed Annabelle to the floor and threw his body on top of hers. “That was a high powered sniper rifle.”

Steve maneuvered the car in to as much cover as he could so that he and Sam could suit up.

“Are you alright, draga?” Bucky looked down at Annabelle who had not made a sound.

“I’m alright, James.” Annabelle squeezed his hand in reassurance.

“It is me they are after. I am going to draw them off. When I have, I want you to stay put, call Tony and have him pick you up. Do you understand?” Bucky squeezed her shoulder.

“I REALLY don’t want you to go out there, James.” Annabelle said, sounding more than a little frightened. “But if you must, you promise me you won’t get caught this time.”

Bucky let out a little laugh, she always worried about him first. “I promise draga. Now stay down.”

Bucky swung himself over the front seat and kicked open the passenger door. Steve and Sam were already on the ground and in the air trying to draw the gunman’s fire. Bucky looked for the gunman, finally sighting him on the overpass. Calling out his position to Steve Bucky dove for cover expecting gunfire. When it came it was not aimed where he expected it to be. It rocked the car.

“They aren’t after us!” Steve shouted. “They are after Annabelle!”

It was as if a switch turned. Both Steve and Sam could see it. There was no doubt that they were no longer looking at the same man. Bucky was slightly hunched over at times. As though he had a huge weight on his shoulders. The Winter Soldier bore no such burden. Drawing up to his full height the Soldier marched to the car. With his metal hand he blocked the next bullet.

With almost no effort he ripped the door off of the car entirely and pulled Annabelle out into his arms.

Sam started to rush forward when Steve stopped him. “Sam don’t!”

“What? Why?” Sam called back. “Annabelle shouldn’t be going anywhere with him in that condition.”

“Because he will kill you if you try to take her.” Steve called back. “He may have no idea who you are. And he doesn’t care. And if you turn this in to a battle Annabelle will be caught in between.”

Sam looked back and forth between the Winter Soldier and Steve uncertainly. “But…”

“Come on Sam.” Steve pointed. “Does Annabelle LOOK like she is in danger or afraid? At all?”

Well, she DID look afraid Sam thought, but of unknown gunmen, not of the Winter Soldier. Him she had her arms wrapped around and her face buried in his neck.

“Remember, Sam” Steve turned his attention back to the gunman. “Annabelle runs largely on emotions. If she felt like he was a danger to her, she would let us know.”

“She could be wrong.” Sam pointed out.

“She hasn’t been yet.” With that Steve took off after the gunman. “I’m willing to work with a little faith.”

It wasn’t long before Annabelle was set down on her feet. Smiling up at her rescuer who was watching her with careful eyes she said “Hey there Soldier.”

“Were you harmed?” He checked her over carefully.

“I am fine, James. You made sure I was safe. Not even a scratch. And the only one who mussed up my hair even is you.” Annabelle eyed him suspiciously. “But I am NOT removing my shirt to prove it.”

“It would really be very quick to make certain…” Annabelle could never tell if he was joking when he got like this.

“Absolutely not.” She pointed a finger at him. “Keep your mind on the task, Soldier.”

The Soldier pulled out the side arm he had managed to grab on his way out of the Embassy. It was loaded, but unless he timed his shots it wouldn’t last long.

Hearing a laugh behind him he looked up. “How on earth do you ALWAYS manage to be armed, James? You just broke out of confinement, led me on a merry chase up a building and across a damned rooftop, thanks for proving how out of shape I am by the way, crash a helicopter in to a water way, never do that again, and you STILL got your hands on a damned gun?”

He couldn’t believe he was grinning. He never grinned. He would have said he was incapable. “Talent.”

“And how is that even still in working order?” Annabelle pointed at his side arm. “You went in to the water! Did I mention NEVER crash a helicopter like that into the water again? Shouldn’t it be a ruin?”

He shrugged. “I cleaned it while you were asleep. And how should I crash a helicopter in to the water?”

“Not at all?” Annabelle glared at him. “And definitely not with your best friend’s throat in your hand. Why would you do that?”

Before Annabelle registered that he had moved James was in front of her, his metal hand cupping her chin. “Why do you ask me questions you already know the answer to?”

Annabelle’s mouth went dry. “James, I…”

Before Annabelle could complete her sentence they heard voices outside. Annabelle found herself pressed between James back and a wall.

“Don’t move.” He told her in a firm voice.

“Could I at least breathe?” Annabelle thought, but wisely kept her smart ass comments to herself.

“Annabelle! Buck!” They could hear Steve calling for them.

Annabelle started to call back to him but James squeezed her in warning,

Annabelle knew he was just concerned for her safety. “James, those are our friends out there it is OK.” And then she did the only reassuring thing she could think of and gently rubbed his back.

He tensed up at first but after a moment relaxed and called out. “In here Steve.”

Soon Steve and Sam found them in the building they had been holed up in. “Everything alright in here?” Sam asked cautiously.

“It’s fine.” Bucky stepped away from the wall. “Did you catch the bastard?”

“No,” Steve sounded frustrated. “He got away.”


	9. Avengers Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back home Annabelle finally discover JARVIS fate

After the attack Tony was taking no more chances. He decided the press conference could just as easily be held at the Avengers Tower and sent an armored car to pick up Annabelle, Steve, Sam and Bucky. While Tony wasn’t exactly crazy about having Bucky along he preferred to have him kept where he had control over the situation.

Annabelle looked at Tony. “How did Ross take it that we are leaving?”

Tony looked up from his tablet. “I haven’t told him. He will find out when we are in the air.”

“Tony….” Annabelle sighed. “Shouldn’t we have got…”

“Permission?” tony raised an eyebrow. “Are you seriously asking me if I need to get permission from the government assholes who lied to me and tried to pull apart my team? To go HOME?”

Annabelle blinked. “Umm… no?”

Tony turned back to his tablet. “Right answer.”

The car took them straight to the airport where Happy was waiting for them.

“Happy!” Annabelle called out with a smile. “I am so glad to see you!”

“Miss Stark. The Tower has been far too quiet without your antics.” Tony’s bodyguard and chauffer smiled affectionately at his employer’s sister.

“So you do actually know living people.” Bucky teased behind her.

“Oh hush.” Annabelle jabbed him the ribs with her elbow.

Seeing their new guest Happy’s eyebrows raised but he was too well trained to make a comment.

As they were boarding the Stark private jet the flight attendant reached out to take Annabelle’s arm to help her aboard. Annabelle jerked back so quickly Bucky thought she might have fallen if he hadn’t been there.

“Miss Stark does not like to be touched. Do not hand anything directly to Mr. Stark, do not touch Miss Stark.” Happy informed the young woman.

“I… I am so sorry Miss Stark.” The young woman looked terrified.

“It is quite alright.” Annabelle murmured.

Bucky noticed that Happy wore gloves. He reached for Annabelle. “Miss Stark.”

“I’ve got her.” Bucky told him. And with one arm on her elbow and another around her waist Bucky led her in to the plane and helped her get settled in.

Once they were all settled Bucky watched Annabelle speculatively. He realized in the entire time he had known her he had only ever seen her touch three people. Tony, Steve… and himself. And for a long time she only touched his metal hand. Annabelle never shook anyone’s hand. Whenever anyone had touched her she had never seemed to be comfortable with it. Even now she preferred to be at the back of the plane. Away from the others.

Annabelle looked up at him embarrassed. “I am sorry I made a scene.”

“You didn’t.” Bucky assured her.

“I did.” Annabelle looked down. “And I frightened that young woman. I… really do so much better with A.I.s and robots. No touching No… emotions. No… memories.”

“You can read minds?” Bucky was horrified. Had she read his mind? He knew it would have been on accident, or at least he hoped it would have been, but did that make it better?

“NO!” Annabelle cried out a little too loudly, a few heads turned. “No.” She said a little quieter. “I can’t read minds. I don’t always get a memory even. Unless someone has a really strong recent memory attached to a really strong emotion. But I never know. And it is invasive. It is not something I want. It is… an intrusion. Like something they are sticking in there against my will.”

Bucky nodded. He knew what that felt like. “OK, I get it… I think.”

“That was what happened when… I lost control of my powers. They grabbed me… and shook me and slapped me and each time they did I took on their pain and memories until… I broke.” Annabelle shuddered. “But when I was little… I didn’t know everyone wasn’t like me. I would… say things. About what they were seeing and feeling. And they would call me a freak. And then I couldn’t stand to be touched. By anyone. And Tony… he fixed it so I wouldn’t have to be. So I would have JARVIS and Dum-E even though they were his tools they became my friends.”

Bucky sighed. So Tony hadn’t just been a bastard. He had been trying to help.

“Your healing powers, those are different?” Bucky finally asked.

“Yes, the ones where I just pick things up, those are passive. They just happen.” Annabelle explained. “When I heal someone… that is active. I have to make a conscious effort to…”

“Muck about in their brains.” Bucky supplied ruefully.

Annabelle shrugged. “If you will.”

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“Don’t be. I would feel the same in your place.” Annabelle smiled compassionately. “But if you ever change your mind I am here for you”

Bucky wasn’t sure if he was sorry that he could not say yes or happy he was saying no. God knew he did not want to add to the invasion of her mind. But she seemed so disappointed…

“Get some sleep Annabelle. It has been a long day.” He finally murmured gently. “Don’t worry, I will be here watching over you.” Mutely Annabelle held out her hand. Knowing what she wanted without a word Bucky gave her his arm to hold on to.

“You know she is treating you like the fire extinguisher, Manchurian Candidate.” Tony grumbled. “You aren’t special.”

“Dum-E follows Tony around like he will spontaneously combust.” Steve explained.

“Does… he do that?” Bucky looked at Tony with a mixture of horror and fascination.

“No, absolutely not.” Tony snapped.

“Mmm… Sometimes.” Natasha hummed.

Annabelle slept almost the entire flight, waking only when Bucky forced her to eat something and stretch her legs.

When they touched down in New York Happy disembarked first and immediately brought a car around.

Annabelle turned to Bucky. “I had Happy arrange a room for you in the Tower. I know you are not a fan of others around so it is on its own floor pretty much. There is a gym on that floor because I figured you would want that. And a shooting range.”

Bucky looked at her amused. “Pretty much its own floor? Which one of these do-gooders do you have me shacking up with?”

Annabelle blushed. “Ummm…. My apartment is the only other one on that floor… I like to be alone too so I figured… if it isn’t OK… if you would rather…”

Bucky reached out and took her hand. “I would rather have you there than anyone else. And definitely more than being alone. But I have to ask… why the shooting range? Did you recently set it up or…?”

“Tony put it in. He wants me to learn to shoot. I don’t want to.” Annabelle confessed like it was a big secret.

Bucky clutched his heart. “No. I never would have guessed.” This earned him a slap to the arm.

“I asked Happy to call ahead and ask JARVIS to direct the lab assistants and assorted help to move some better equipment in to the gym for you. I pretty much just do yoga and Pilates.” Annabelle grinned. “I doubt either will be for you.”

Bucky was starting to feel guilty. “Belle, about JARVIS…”

Annabelle smiled so sweetly at Bucky he almost lost his train of thought. “Belle hmmm….? I like it, it’s like a fairytale. And don’t worry about JARVIS. You will love him. Eventually. He is sarcastic at first. But funny. He has a great sense of humor.”

They had pulled up in front of the Avenger’s Tower. “This used to just be Stark Tower.” Annabelle told Bucky. “But now it is for everyone. To me it has always just been home.”

On the way up the elevator Annabelle called out “Honey! I’m home!” Only to be met with silence. “Come on JARVIS don’t be like that. You knew I had a mission, you knew it could take awhile. Is it because I said I didn’t want you tracking me? That is just because Tony would badger it out of you and you know how he is.”

“Annabelle…” Tony called her name softly.

Stepping out in to a large common room with a bar there were two people already there. Although one was not exactly what Bucky would call a “person”.

“Hi Wanda. I see you made it OK.” Natasha said leaning against a wall.

Annabelle missed the pitying looks she was getting.

The being with red skin stepped forward. “Miss Stark, I am Vision.”

Annabelle stopped. “Hi, you… are you an A.I.? You sound like an A.I.? Android?”

Vision smiled. “Of a sort, yes.”

“Then I am sure we are going to be great friends.” Annabelle reached out and took Vision’s hand.

Vision enclosed Annabelle’s hands in his own. “That is my hope as well Miss Stark.” Bucky noticed Vision was looking at Annabelle with a fatherly concern.

Annabelle patted his hand. She had shown more affection towards this artificial being than Bucky had seen her show anyone. Ever. Besides himself he thought with smug satisfaction. “But right now I have to deal with this stubborn A.I. I bet if I set up our chess set he could never turn down...”

Tony interrupted “Annabelle sit down. I have something to tell you and it will be a shock.”

Before he spoke Tony called for Dum-E. The contraption that came in belonged in a lab not a living room but Annabelle greeted it like a favored pet, or a friend. It used a terrifying boom to pat her back gently.

Tony sat across from Annabelle and without touching her explained about Ultron and Sokovia. And the death of JARVIS. Annabelle just hugged Dum-E and rocked back and forth.

“No…” Annabelle whispered. “No… JARVIS can’t be gone he just can’t. But wait… you uploaded him in to that platform.” She turned to Vision. “So YOU are JARVIS?” Her hope was evident. And futile.

“I am not. I have parts of his programming and parts of Ultron and…” Annabelle choked on a sob.

When Annabelle jumped up no one had any idea what she intended to do. Except for Bucky and Wanda, they had all seen her have an en episode and prepared for the worse. Tony moved to block the patio door. Looking around frantically she finally found what… or who… she was looking for. Without a word Bucky opened his arms and Annabelle ran and buried her face in to his chest sobbing. Bucky held her stroking her back with his metal hand.

“Well… that’s new.” Tony observed, grabbing a drink.

The press conference went better than the phone call that preceded it.

“You’re damned right I got my sister out of there. And yes it took the combined might of the Avengers to protect her. Sniper assassins. Care to explain that Ross? OK how about you explain the numbers I sent to you? No? How about the one year it would have taken to authorize the Avengers to act? An over sight on your part my ass. I have said it before and I will say it again, you can’t have my property. What I will do and have done, is picked up a bit of Terra Nullis. Are you familiar with the concept? No man’s land? Well now it is some man’s land. My land. Let’s call it the Kingdom of Stark. As of now the Avenger’s are a sovereign entity. And that is a thread you do NOT want to pull on. Avenger’s Tower? It is our goddamned Embassy. Oh you can and you will recognize it. Because if you don’t I will release those numbers. Need I remind you what Natasha Romanov did a few years ago? So the way I see it, you have a choice. You can acknowledge the Avengers as the heroes we are and step back so we can do our jobs and look like a hero yourself, or we can just be the heroes we are and you can look like a white cat stroking villain. Actually, I am pretty sure I WILL always get my way. Because I am a Stark and we always get what we want. Even if that is a disgusting Manchurian Candidate fire extinguisher. Never mind what I mean. I don’t know what the Winter Soldier is doing right now and I sure as hell don’t want to know who he is doing it with.” Which was true since Annabelle and Bucky had retired to their floor. “No I don’t know anything about S.H.I.E.L.D. I take it you weren’t invited to their fancy parties either? Yes Nick Fury came to see my sister in the hospital. They are friends, she plays well with others. Yeah, you do that.”

After that the press conference was a formality. The Sokovian Accords meant that the Avengers were recognized as a sovereign entity with the full backing and support of many nations, chief among them Wakanda main supplier of vibranium to the world. The Avengers contribution to mitigating the loss of more human lives was recognized and the Avengers came out as heroes. The only real concession was that enhanced individuals did have to register. It seemed a small price to pay but everyone still hoped it did not come back to bite the in the ass.

In the common room on their floor Annabelle was still curled up against Bucky. She had stopped sobbing but not until she had thoroughly soaked his shirt. “I still can’t believe he is gone James.”

“I know draga, and it may be small consolation, but I am here, and I am not going anywhere.” Bucky held Annabelle tighter.

“Then stop taking foolish risks, James, because I am holding you to that.” Not long after making that statement Annabelle was sound asleep on Bucky’s shoulder. His flesh shoulder.


	10. Siberia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle, Tony and Bucky have to confront the past in Siberia

“Do you like it?” Annabelle asked nervously from the doorway to Bucky’s apartment.

It had taken a little coordinating but as soon as Annabelle knew they would be heading back to the Tower she had arranged to have a decorator set up Bucky’s room in Romanian colors and décor. In addition to the combat armor and basic clothes he would need.

Bucky turned around and looked at Annabelle carefully. “Why did you do all of this?”

“In addition to just wanting you to be comfortable and feel at home?” Annabelle looked around at the familiar colors and art. “You tolerated my trailing after you for almost two years. When I nearly died you took care of me. You have protected me every step of the way. You have never asked for a damned thing in return. Believe me when I say this is the very least I could do.”

Bucky stepped forward. “Is that the only reason, draga?”

At that moment Friday broke in “Miss Stark, Sergeant Barnes, Mr. Stark has called for everyone to assemble.”

Glad for the reprieve Annabelle asked. “Did he say why?”

“Helmut Zemo has been spotted near Siberia.

Several hours later they were suited up and making the approach to the holding facility over Siberia.

Steve looked over at Bucky and grinned. "You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?"

"Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?" Bucky asked grinning back.

Steve scoffed. "You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead."

Bucky nodded smiling with the memory. "What was her name again?"

"Dolores. You called her Dot." Steve checked his weapons"

Annabelle was just happy to see the two bonding again.

Bucky shook his head. "She's gotta be a hundred years old right now."

"So are we, pal." Steve clamped his hand on Bucky's shoulder.

Annabelle giggled. "You don't look a day over seventy five Capsicle."

"Ha ha, very funny Stark Jr." Steve gave Annabelle a mock glare.

As they landed near the facility Bucky felt warm fingers close over his. Looking down he saw Annabelle’s concerned face looking up at him.

"Are you alright, James?" Annabelle whispered worrying her bottom lip. "You don't have to go. We can stay right here. Let Steve and Tony handle it..."

"I'm alright." Bucky squeezed her fingers back.

Entering the facilities Steve looked around. "He can't have been here more than a few hours."

Bucky pushed Annabelle behind him so she was sandwiched between him and Tony. "Long enough to wake them up."

"Well aren't you a ray of hope and sunshine, Manchurian Candidate?" Tony asked sarcastically. "Annabelle take out the damned pistol I gave you."

Annabelle reluctantly pulled the pistol from the pocket she had stuffed it in to. "Why? I won't use it?"

"To lessen the chances of you accidentally shooting a toe off when you pull out your autograph book?' Tony snarked. "We all know what a fan you are of the end results of this particular experiment."

"Pipe down." Steve called back, leading them into the cast bunker. They traveled down into the depths inside a caged elevator. Stopping in the bowls of the bunker, the doors slid open.

Steve nodded to Bucky and heaved up the cage door. Bucky readied his heavy duty machine gun and they walked along a corridor, keeping close to a wall.

Bucky looked into an alcove full of junk then he and Steve moved on up some stairs. At the sound of a loud thud they spun around, aiming down the corridor. They only allowed the rest to follow once they are certain there is no imminent danger. Sam and Natasha brought up the rear.

Annabelle could feel T'Challa is close by as the Black Panther, watching them. She chose to keep this to herself. He must have had a reason for staying hidden.

With his helmet and face plate reengaged Tony took point and led the team toward the enormous chamber with the capsules standing in it.

Tony called back "I got heat signatures."

Steve readied his shield "How many?"

Tony checked. "Uh, one."

As they entered the vast chamber the lights came on. Hazy, yellow mist decended within the capsules. As well as Josef, each one contains an enhanced soldier from the 1991 experiment. Annabelle and the others looked around, bewildered.

Helmut Zemo came on the speaker "If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep."

Annabelle noticed all of the enhanced soldiers have been shot in the head. "You monster."

"Called it." Tony said to no one in particular.

Bucky stares at Josef's corpse. As much as Annabelle wanted to comfort him now was not the time. He needed to focus.

"Did you really think I wanted more of you?" Zemo sneered.

Bucky asked in a controlled rage "What the hell?"

"I'm grateful to them, though. They brought you here." Zemo appeared in a control room. Steve hurled his shield but it flies back. "Please, Captain. The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets."

Tony mused "I'm betting I could beat that."

Zemo was not impressed. "Oh, I'm sure you could, Mr. Stark. Given time. But then you'd never know why you came."

Steve was incensed "You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?"

Annabelle saw Black Panther watching from the shadows. He put a finger to his lips. She nodded.

Zemo's next words showed his mind had started to unravel "I thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you. I followed you. But now that you're standing here, I just realized… there's a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw."

Steve came to a realization "You're Sokovian. Is that what this is about?"

Zemo dismissed this. "Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell. No. I'm here because I made a promise."

Steve studied Zemo. "You lost someone?"

Zemo looking grave, clicked his tongue. "I lost everyone. And so will you."

He pushed play on surveillance footage from December 16th 1991. Steve stepped over to the screen. "An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumples from within? That's dead… forever."

Tony looked at the freeze frame of a secluded road and the date, December 16 1991. His eyes rove, anxiously. "I know that road. What is this?"

Annabelle said nothing, she just looked anxiously between the men.

Steve said pleading "Tony. Tony."

Tony was consumed with grief and tears glistened in his eyes he turns and looks at Steve. "Did you know?"

Steve looked at the ground "I didn't know it was him."

Tony was beyond reason "Don't bullshit me! Did you know?

Annabelle finally screamed "Yes! God help me, Tony, Yes I knew!"

The room grew deathly silent. Tony turned to his sister slowly. "You... you knew..."

Zemo began laughing maniacally. "This is even better than I could have hoped for. Thank you Miss Stark. I will take my leave now."

"You don't care because you don't remember them." Tony spat. "But what about me? If that monster had murdered me would you have been so quick to start fucking him?”

Annabelle just stared at the ground, tears rolled down her cheeks. She did not bother to defend herself.

Bucky was not putting up with Tony’s attack. “Take your anger out on me, not Annabelle.”

Tony steps back, his chin jutting upwards twitchily. Tony reengages the Iron Man helmet. He punches Steve to the floor and deflected gunfire from Bucky, disarming him. He grabbed Bucky and flew across the chamber. Slamming him onto the floor, then jumping on his arms. Steve's shield hit Tony, distracting him. Steve barged him backwards, Tony shouldered him to the floor and shackled his ankles. Bucky punched Tony who just lifted him and slammed him against a machine. Tony raised a fist but Bucky twists it. A rocket shot out of Tony's arm, a fireball exploded. Steve slices his shackles as a towering structure of pipe works collapsed. Tony and Bucky are thrown down a level as twisted metal fell around them, showering sparks.

Steve shouted to Bucky. “Get out of here!”

The rest of the team is not sure who to back. Natasha looks back and forth uncertainly. Sam’s wings open and close.

Steve pleaded. “It wasn't him, Tony. HYDRA had control of his mind!”

Tony was beyond reason “Move!”

Steve tried again. “It wasn't him!”

Steve grabbed Tony's ankle in mid air and smashed it. Tony blocked Steve by shooting down rubble, then falteringly flew up the tower.

They only notice that the rubble landed on Annabelle when they hear her groan.

“Oh God look what you testosterone filled bastards have done now!” Natasha screamed at Steve, Tony and Bucky as she and Sam rushed to dig Annabelle out.

A beam had balanced just right that Annabelle was protected from the worst of the debris and aside from what appeared to be a broken wrist was fine.

“Are you assholes happy with yourselves?” Natasha shouted.

Annabelle was trying hard to let Natasha help her but not be touched.

“I am so sorry. I know you don’t like this, but I have to wrap it.” Natasha looked at the younger woman in sympathy. “I will try to keep my anger under control.”

Bucky wanted to help but he didn’t dare turn his back on Tony.

Steve tried one more time to get through to Tony. “This isn't gonna change what happened.”

Tony was in no mood to be reasonable “I don't care. He killed my mom.”

Annabelle slowly stood up. She did not want to admit there were probably a few broken ribs to go with that broken wrist.

Walking over to Tony she grabbed his face in both of her hands, as much as it hurt her broken wrist. It was difficult to stick her hands in his face plate but she managed.

“No Tony,” Annabelle said firmly. “He didn’t. And you didn’t kill Wanda’s parents. Just like your bombs, James was a weapon. HYDRA killed Mommy and Daddy. And no matter how many times you hurt my feelings and say terrible things to me that won’t change.”

Tony finally looked down at Annabelle. “Anna… I didn’t…”

“I know Tony, I know you didn’t mean it. You never do.” She patted his cheeks. “I can tell remember?”

“Then why didn’t you grab him and find out if he even remembers that he was supposed to be our father’s friend?” Tony was back to shouting “Did you know THAT little juicy bit Annabelle? The one who killed them? He was their FRIEND!” Tony forgot Annabelle was touching him.

The emotion coming from Tony after all of the stress was too much. Annabelle staggered back her hands over her ears. She began making a high pitched keening sound. A full blown episode was coming on.

Bruises started appearing on her face. Remnants of the long ago attack by a very angry brother who had used his fists to take out his grief on a defenseless empath.

“Annabelle…” Tony reached out but stopped short of touching her. “No no no. I am sorry! I did not mean to project that in to you. Come back, come back, come back!”

Bucky rushed forward but when Annabelle raised her head the whites of her eyes were gone. There were two black orbs where her eyes had been. “Annabelle….” He whispered.

Annabelle let out a high pitched scream that let loose all of the rage and grief she had absorbed.

When she was done no one was left standing. Or conscious.

When they came to, Annabelle was gone.


	11. The Episode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle has climbed a tower and is contemplating her ability to control life and death, even if it is just her own. She finally explains to Bucky what happened the day the hostages died.

****

Tony groaned from the floor. “Well… that didn’t go as planned… Anna-banana… you ok kiddo? Annabelle?”

Everyone started getting up from the floor where they had been knocked out and checking out their injuries. All but one. It was clear Annabelle was gone.

Bucky started panicking. “Where the hell is she? She can’t wander outside! She will get lost and freeze to death.”

“Calm down.” Steve laid a hand on his shoulder. “She is probably outside but…”

“That is supposed to make me CALM?!” Bucky shouted. “This is SIBERIA not goddamned Bucharest!”

Everyone looked at each other. Well, that certainly told them where Annabelle and Bucky must have spent the majority of their time together.

“She would have gone some place really high.” Natasha frowned. “And to find that she would have had to go outside.”

Tony had already started running and Bucky was hot on his heals but he still called over his shoulder to Natasha “Why is she trying to get to a high place?”

“We think she is trying to get up her nerve.” Natasha paused unsure how much to tell the unstable man.

“The nerve to do what exactly?” Bucky was terrified of the answer.

Natasha sighed. “To jump.”

When they got outside Annabelle’s footprints were easy to find. They led up to a very tall observatory tower. It looked to be almost 300 feet tall. Annabelle was about half way up and standing on the very edge.

“Do the damned Siberians have to build everything so damned big?” Tony complained. “I will go get her.” He turned on his thrusters.

“Let me. I will bring her back down.” And wring her pretty little neck Bucky thought to himself.

“Why would I do that?” Tony glared at him.

“Because Bucky has already saved her numerous times and wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. Not ever.” This came from Sam. Everyone looked at him surprised. “Hey I don’t LIKE the dude, but even I am not stupid. If that was my sister, I would want him going up to get her.”

“Fine.” Tony said. “But if she comes down with so much as a chip in her fingernail there won’t be a hole deep enough for you to crawl in that I won’t find and kill you.

Bucky started climbing thinking of all of the things he was going to shout at her as soon as he got her down from this tower. Contrary to popular belief he hated heights. Absolutely hated them. Ever since. He paused while he was climbing.

Ever since his father, George “Dirt Dart, Dirty Dart, or usually just plain Dart” Barnes was killed in a training exercise due to a failed parachute when Bucky was ten. They called him Dart because he was a paratrooper and had to hit a taget. Well… that was something.

Bucky kept climbing. That was another thing he was going to mention to the woman who was forcing him up this tower. When Bucky finally reached the level Annabelle was on he paused. He didn’t want to just grab for her. That could cause her to flinch and fall.

“Draga,” He said as calmly as he could. “What are you doing up here?”

“”I can’t really read minds, did I tell you that James?” Annabelle was staring out at some point only she could see.

Her calm tone was terrifying. “Yes, you mentioned that.”

“I can see things, but only if the person allows me to see them.” Annabelle said conversationally.

“I… see…” Bucky did not really see the distinction but he did not want to argue up this high.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives were being held hostage. 50 of them. Right here in Siberia.” Annabelle continued. “Well, not right here. Or at least I don’t think so. We caught one of the people who knew where they were held. It was my job to get the information out of him. But he was a sadistic bastard. It was a trade off see? He wanted to see how much I could take. I would get a peak at places a long the route to where they were held but I had to watch his torture sessions first. As soon as he knew I felt what he did… it got worse. He wasn’t just… it wasn’t just a job for him. He really enjoyed what he did. Fathers forced to watch while their wives and children were brutalized on the off chance that he might know something… slow tortuous executions. He really dragged it out. If I had been stronger, if I could have just watched without taking a break…” Annabelle paused.

“What would have happened, draga?” Bucky encouraged her.

“I could have found them before the bomb detonated. The worst part was being made to feel like… like I enjoyed it as much as he did.” Annabelle choked out.

“Belle… draga, listen to me.” Bucky was horrified at her revelation. That she had been forced to witness that… to feel that… “He was never going to give you the location. He was playing for time. You were a victim, and S.H.I.E.L.D. they must have been…” real shit bastards to have sent you in there is what he wanted to say. “Very desperate to try that.”

Annabelle shook her head. “We really didn’t know what I could do yet. Not the extent of it. Or just how bad it could get. This was supposed to be a trial. We thought they wanted something in exchange for the hostages. We didn’t know it was just revenge. That this bastard had just been sent to give us false hope. He was dead shortly after we confirmed the bomb had detonated.”

“Lethal pill?” Bucky guessed. “Good strategy. Sloppy of S.H.I.E.L.D. not to check.”

“No.” Annabelle clarified. “Slow poison. He was already dying when we got him.”

“Of course he was.” Bucky had no idea what to say. “Annabelle… why are we up here?”

“I am up here to contemplate my control over life and death.” Annabelle’s calm was really starting to unnerve him. “I suspect you are up here because my brother believes I am suicidal.”

“You… aren’t then?” Bucky tried to keep the relief out of his voice in case that pushed her over the edge. Literally. “I know that could not have been easy down there. I am so sorry.”

“For which part? Fighting with my brother? Dropping a roof on me? Not staying in the carrier and letting Steve handle it like I asked you to?’ Annabelle asked as if they were discussing the weather.

“All of it?” Bucky rubbed his hand over his face. “I had no idea what we were going to find in there. Annabelle WHY are you standing on the ledge?”

“I like to know that I am in control of life and death.” Annabelle shrugged. “Even just mine. I don’t want to die… I just want to know that I could. I suppose it is the same reason people cliff dive or handle poisonous snakes.”

“Or follow HYDRA assassins?” Bucky guessed.

“I suppose so.” Annabelle admitted. “At least at first. But the more you weren’t dangerous the more I stopped believing you would be.”

“Well…” Bucky was starting to turn green. “Do you think you could step away from the ledge and back on to the platform?”

Annabelle had spent this entire time balancing on a very thin support beam. There was an observation platform on this level but she had left it. Pirouetting on the balls of her feet, something that nearly gave Bucky apoplectic fits and came close to trigger the Winter Soldier Annabelle contemplated him. “I am so sorry, I didn’t know you didn’t like heights.” Annabelle apologized.

“Are you reading me Annabelle?” Bucky frowned.

“James, that requires touch. You have a death grip on that pole and you look like you are about to cast up you accounts.” Annabelle walked along another narrow beam towards him as calmly as if she were crossing the kitchen floor not dangling a hundred and fifty feet in the air. “It doesn’t take an empathy to guess you might not be overly fond of heights.”

When Annabelle finally reached him Bucky pulled her to his chest sat down on the platform and held her against him. “I am so sorry for what was done to you. Those bruises on your face… those were caused by the person who attacked you?”

“I don’t want to discuss it.” Annabelle murmured against his armor.

“But you are going to and you are going to give me his name.” Bucky had noticed there was a male ring imprint in one of the bruises.

“Why?” Annabelle asked still not looking up.

Bucky was holding on to his emotions by a thread. “Why the hell do you think Annabelle?”

Annabelle shook her head. “Let it go James. Tony is really angry with me, isn’t he?. It isn’t the first time, but always before I had JARVIS to go back to. I miss him so much.”

Bucky rubbed her back. “I won’t pretend I understand your connection, but I understand loss. I am sorry, draga. But if it is a consolation, your brother did threaten to murder me if I brought you down with any chips or scratches.”

Annabelle giggled but then got serious again. “James… about what Tony said… about you know… us and what he thought we were doing together...”

Bucky froze. He knew this would have to be addressed sooner or later, but he preferred later. And on the ground. “Yeah… about that…”

“Tony knows that isn’t true… he knows I don’t… that I haven’t…” Bucky could hear the blush in her voice.

It took Bucky a moment to catch on to what she was saying. “Oh? OH! I… uh…”

“Tony was just being crude.” Annabelle went on. “You have seen me. I can’t even have a flight attendant help me on to a plane. How would I have ever allowed…”

“It is alright draga, I understand.” Bucky continued rubbing her back. “But there are some people you have allowed to touch your skin. Himself, Steve… and me. Perhaps that is what he noticed.”

Annabelle was quiet for a moment. “Maybe… I had not thought about that.”

Both were silent for a while. Finally Bucky asked. “So you really can’t read minds?”

Annabelle shook her head. “I can see memories but only if the person I am working with allows it. If they block me out, I don’t see it.”

Bucky was confused. “Then how do you accidentally see things?”

“Sometimes people are so happy about a memory, or sad, or afraid or… whatever… that they want to share it even if they don’t know that they want to. And they send it out. And with good memories, that is not so bad. Well… I have seen some embarrassing things but…” Bucky chuckled at the embarrassment in her voice. “But it is a mixed bag. And in S.H.I.E.L.D. I get a lot more of the bad memories.”

Bucky noticed that was not the first time she had referred to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the present tense. “Annabelle… why do you keep talking about S.H.I.E.L.D. like you are still an agent?”

Annabelle hedged. “Oh that well… see…”

“You have GOT to be kidding me?!” Buck all but shouted. “The last time you were savagely beaten, lost control of your powers and took an almost two year sabbatical with a HYDRA assassin to get your life back, what are you thinking Annabelle?”

“OK, first, EX, ex-HYDRA assassin, and it was only eighteen months.” Annabelle pointed out reasonably. “And Shuri helped me get control of my healing powers so…”

“Don’t fool yourself, draga, all HYDRA or anyone else has to do is say the goddamned words and that is who I am again.” Bucky hung his head.

“Even when they did that last time… you would not have hurt me James, I know you would not have.” Annabelle laid her hand on his cheek.

“No, but I would have killed everyone else you knew without a moment’s hesitation.” Bucky pointed out. “In fact I tried to do just that.”

“Ok,” Annabelle soothed. “Ok, so what do we do?”

“If, and I do mean IF” Bucky held up a hand “I agree to let you try your healing… we stop when I say, agreed?”

Annabelle nodded. “Agreed.”

Bucky’s lips tightened. “And we take safeguards in case anything dangerous is triggered.”

“OK.” Annabelle whispered.

“So…” Bucky took a shuddering breath. “That was an episode?”

Annabelle put her face in her hands. “Did I hurt anyone?”

“No draga.” Bucky reassured her as they went down the tower.

Once on the ground again Tony grabbed Annabelle and buried his face in her hair. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to put that all on you. Or in your mind. I don’t want to lose you kid. You’re all I have left.”

“It’s OK, Tony. I’m sorry too.” Annabelle buried her face in her brother’s chest. “It has just been stressful and I really miss JARVIS. He was like my Dad, you know?”

“I know, kiddo I miss him too.” Tony squeezed her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a better substitute father.”


	12. To the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle starts working on Bucky's memories and Tony just can't help sticking his foot in his mouth.

****

_Bucky walks in to an alley, only he looks much younger, and his uniform is tan and crisp. "What’s with all the fighting?"_

_A thug who was beating on a scrawny malnourished boy on the ground turns on Bucky sneering._

_Bucky is merely amused and almost bored. "Don’t you know there’s a war on?"_

_The jerk takes a swing. Bucky punches him hard once, hard enough to spin him around, and plants an army boot square in his ass. The jerk runs away. Bucky looks down at the young man, getting up from a pile of garbage._

_Bucky is still amused, but clearly fond of the young man in a brotherly way. "Sometimes I think you like getting punched."_

_Steve Rogers, but a very different Steve Rogers than the one everybody knows as Captain America smugly grins wiping away a speck of blood. "I had him on the ropes." As Steve gets up, a folded enlistment form falls from his pocket._

_Bucky picks it up and reads. "How many times is this? And you’re from Paramus now? It’s still illegal to lie on an enlistment form, and seriously, Jersey?_

_Steve frowns, taking in Bucky's uniform. "Looks like you got your orders."_

_Bucky nods confirming. "107th ships to England first thing tomorrow. This is my last night."_

_Steve looking a bit sad and jealous. "So, what’s the first stop. Church?"_

_Bucky grins. "Yeah...maybe second stop."_

_They start walking out of the alley when Steve asks "Where are we going?"_

_Bucky whips out a newspaper and hands it to Steve. "The future." An ad reads, “WORLD EXHIBITION OF TOMORROW.”_

_Later that night the two are walking around a bustling place where monorails race around futuristic buildings. Bucky is trying to cheer Steve up. "I don’t see what the problem is. You’re about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know there’re three and a half million women here?"_

_Steve looks wistful. "I’d settle for just one."_

_Bucky waves at somebody in the distance. "Good thing I’ve taken care of that."_

_Across the midway, two girls wave back in front of the modern marvels pavilion._

_Steve looks uneasy. "What’d you tell her about me?"_

_Bucky grins, still waving. "Only the good stuff."_

_The foursome look in on some exhibits including one where a glass box holds a red suited android. A card reads: “DR. PHINEAS HORTON PRESENTS...THE SYNTHETIC MAN!” A fire extinguisher rests at the base. Bucky and the two girls, Connie and Bonnie, hurry past the exhibit. Steve tags after, ignored._

_Connie cries out, bouncing, "Oh my God, there he is!"_

_The girls squeal, urging Bucky towards where a crowd has gathered by a stage that reads “STARK INDUSTRIES PRESENTS...”_

_Steve has gone to buy peanuts as Bucky and the girls get in close. On stage, a dashing Howard Stark stands with a 1942 CADILLAC._

_The girls giggle, clearly smitten._

_Howard Stark, obviously a born showman, waves his arm theatrically, Ladies, you know how hard it can be putting on makeup in a car that’s bouncing like a kangaroo on a trampoline.”_

_Steve offers Bonnie a peanut. She looks at them with scorn._

_Howard Stark is continuing his show. "What if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile wouldn’t touch the ground at all?"_

_Stark hits a button. The Cadillac rises leaving its tire on the ground. bulky devices where the wheels should be. The crowd gasps, Bucky and Steve gape, impressed._

_When Bucky finds his tongue he sputters out "Ho-ly cow."_

_Howard Stark is pleased at his audience's reaction. "With Stark Gravitic Reversion Technology (patent pending), you’ll be able to do just that"_

_There’s a pop and an explosion. The car slams to the stage._

_Unshaken Howard Stark grins "I did say a few years, didn’t I?"_

_The audience applauds. As Bonnie swoons over Howard, Steve looks around, sheepish. He spots something in the distance._

_Bucky wraps his arm around Connie. "Hey, Steve. What do you say we treat these ladies..."_

_But Steve’s gone. In his place, a little girl digs eagerly into his bag of peanuts._

Annabelle is once again in the present holding on to both of Bucky’s hands.

Bucky was worried when she didn’t say anything for a few moments. “Was that… alright? You said for the first time to go with something light…”

Annabelle looked up with tears in her eyes. “James, that was perfect. Thank you. It felt like it was more about me than you though…”

Bucky squeezed her hands. “I just thought after everything you could use a win.”

“Daddy…” Annabelle shook her head. “He seemed pretty popular with the young ladies. He reminds me so much of Tony.”

Annabelle and Bucky had decided on the safe room Tony used for explosive containment for their healing sessions. It had been outfitted with overstuffed chairs and reclining couches so they would be comfortable.

Tony had wanted Annabelle behind thick bullet proof glass and over a speaker for these healing sessions. Annabelle told him to stop being ridiculous. Not only were such measures wholly unnecessary but that her healing required touch.

“Well I am certain your brother would have done just as well during that time.” Bucky raised an eyebrow.

Annabelle laughed a full throated laugh that damned near knocked Bucky out of his chair. It was good to see her at home and happy. “My brother does just fine in any time he is in. Alright this time was about me. The next time will be about you.”

The door flew open at precisely that moment and Tony came in with his hands over his eyes. “I don’t know exactly what is going on in here but everybody’s hands had better be where I can see them.”

Annabelle laughed again. “Tony, you are so silly. Take your hand off of your eyes.”

Tony did slowly to find everything in order. “This is not your personal slap and tickle room. This room is for freaky healing only, not for any sort of other freaky anything!”

“Can we make that same rule about the pool?” Annabelle asked with a raised eyebrow.

“And the labs?” An attractive man with graying hair at the temples came in and leaned against the door frame.

“Bruce!” Annabelle called happily. “It is good to see you.”

“You too Annabelle.” Bruce smiled down at her. “I am sorry about… everything. Are you OK?”

“I will be.” Annabelle smiled up at Bruce sadly. “Thanks for trying to save him. It means a lot. Where have you been?”

“Oh, you know, here and there, trying to keep the other guy happy and quiet. Mostly quiet.” Bruce shrugged.

Bucky couldn’t tell if he was joking or not but Annabelle seemed to take him seriously. “Oh, I hope that turned out OK for the two of you. Have you seen Thor?’

“Not since Sokovia, no, I assume he went home.” Bruce cleaned his glasses. “Always with the family trouble that guy.”

“Oh? Is it Loki?” Annabelle sat up. “Is Loki OK?”

“What IS it with you?” Tony glared down at Annabelle. “Do you have something going on with Rock of Ages?’

“NO!” Annabelle snapped at Tony.”Why do you always assume if you hate them I am dating them?”

Tony snorted. “History and your poor judgment.”

Annabelle shook her head amused. “Well, sorry to disappoint, brother dear, but there is nothing going on between Loki and I but… friendship… I suppose… it is complicated.”

“It’s Complicated is a Facebook status not the relationship between my sister and an insane failed world conqueror. So how about you clear it up?” Tony narrowed his eyes. “How would you even be sort of friendly with Loki, which is just as bad as being anything else with him, by the way.”

Even Bruce looked concerned. “Anna, that is not someone you should… he is bad news. Really bad news.”

Bucky looked between the two men and Annabelle. He had learned about the attack on New York of course. But no mention of Annabelle was ever made. Had Loki been in New York before or after that event? Was Tony correct, was there something between the two of them?

“He turned Barton into his own flying monkey.” Tony frowned. And Erik Selvig. Erik has never been quite the same. You know that right? He has been in the hospital more than once after that.

“I know, I remember.” Annabelle looked down. “But what if it wasn’t exactly his fault? He surrendered in the end, didn’t he? Helped turn the tide and all?”

“Annabelle Antonia Stark, is there anyone in your world who is responsible for anything?” Tony threw his hands up. “Barnes isn’t responsible, I’m not responsible, and Loki isn’t responsible. Is anyone ever responsible for the deaths of anyone else in your version of events?”

Annabelle looked at the ground. “I will work on that Tony. Excuse me.” Annabelle quietly left.

“Great job Tony. I think one of the new interns brought a puppy would you like to kick it?” Bruce sighed.

Bucky just looked at Tony in disgust and went after Annabelle.

“What? What did I say?” Tony looked at the door where Annabelle and Bucky had disappeared and back to Bruce. “What is she so upset about now?”


	13. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is jealous of a new intern

_Bucky and Steve are walking up to the front door of a non descript home in a non descript neighborhood. "We can put the couch cushions on the floor like when we were kids. It'll be fun. All you gotta do is shine my shoes, maybe take out the trash." When they get to the apartment door, Steve tries to find his keys, Bucky kicks a brick aside, picks up the apartment keys from under it and gives it to Steve "Come on."_

_Steve looks back at his friend sadly. "Thank you, Buck, but I can get by on my own."_

_Bucky gives him a compassionate lopsided grin and a friendly pat on the shoulder. "The thing is, you don't have to. I'm with you to the end of the line, pal."_

Annabelle slowly opened her eyes, her hands still holding on to Bucky, smiling. “That was a beautiful memory, James.”

They had agreed that every session would end on a positive note. Something that reminded Bucky of simpler, happier times.

“I am not sure Steve would agree… it was just after his Mom’s funeral but…”Bucky didn’t quite know how to explain what he meant.

“It reminds you of your friendship?” Annabelle squeezed Bucky’s hands.

Getting up Annabelle poured both of them a cup of hot tea and added a splash of milk no sugar to Bucky’s just the way he liked it.

“Exactly.” Bucky replied as soon as she took her seat. Looking at her more closely he frowned “Are you going somewhere?”

Annabelle squirmed in her chair. “No, why?”

Trying to pretend she was not at all feeling awkward she took a sip of her far too hot tea burning her tongue.

He had noticed the change in her appearance. Of course he did. He noticed everything. No way could she explain why she was wearing so much make up. Or the bulky sweater she had on.

“You’re awfully made up for staying in.” She was wearing a lot more makeup than normal. And what looked like a new sweater. Something that looked soft and feminine.

Bucky reached out to wipe away some of the foundation on her cheek causing Annabelle to jerk back.

“Hey this stuff is expensive!” She batted his hand away. “Don’t smudge it!”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. broke the awkward moment between the two when she spoke up. “Miss Stark, Tony wants me to remind you that you are to help his new intern get settled in today.”

Annabelle hopped up. “Tell Tony I will be right down to show David to his rooms.”

Anything to get out of this room before Bucky started questioning her further. He was far too astute for her comfort. Just a few more sessions. Annabelle was sure that was all it would take.

“David?” Bucky asked in a strained tone.

“An intern Bruce brought with him. He was studying nuclear physics now he is studying the new element Tony discovered.” Annabelle thought for a moment. “Or created from Daddy’s research. Honestly I was never quite certain. It really isn’t something I ever cared to understand to be honest.”

A nice safe topic. Something so confusing neither of them would understand it. She almost giggled with how clever she was at coming up with this diversion.

Bucky just watched Annabelle’s animated face as she discussed this new intern of Tony’s. He did not like this new feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

It felt like something, or someone, need to be punched, or shot repeatedly.

“James… Are you alright?” Suddenly Annabelle was back, kneeling in front of him, his hands in hers. “Talk to me.”

“I am fine, Annabelle.” Bucky ground out. No matter who this intern was Bucky knew Annabelle would always come back. She was stuck with him.

Like he was a grotesque cancerous growth.

Reaching out very carefully Annabelle pulled the broken shards of his tea mug from Bucky’s grip. “James what is wrong? Other than your bleeding hand? Are you having a reaction to the session?”

“No… maybe… it’s fine. Go take care of your intern.” Bucky stood up to go wash his hands. The wounds were already knitting themselves.

Annabelle looked after Bucky worried. “No, I am not leaving you, F.R.I.D.A.Y. tell Tony…”

“Go Annabelle.” Tony clutched he sink. “I don’t need you for every damned little thing. I got along perfectly find without you meddling in to every single part of my life constantly.”

Bucky heard Annabelle take in a small, hurt gasp that she was clearly trying to hide from him. He closed his eyes against her pain.

“No, of course not.” Annabelle’s voice betrayed very little of how much he had hurt her. “I… of course you are right. It was thoughtless of me. I forgot how painful this must be for you. I will leave you to your thoughts.”

Bucky heard Annabelle cross the room and open the door. She paused for just a moment as if she wanted to say something but left.

Bucky waited ten minutes and then hit the gym pounding out his anger and frustrations on the punching bag.

And the weight sets.

When the punching bags were piles of sand and the weight bars were bent Bucky finally sat down only to find Steve leaned against the wall watching him. He had never heard him come in.

“Well… that was quite the show.” Steve pushed away from the wall. “Did you leave any anger for the rest of us, Buck?”

“Funny, punk. You were always the funny one.” Bucky snarled.

“Yep. I was the funny one, you were the stupid one.” Steve grinned. “Want to tell me what all of this carnage is about.”

“No.” Bucky stalked off towards the showers.

Steve was patient. While Bucky showered he tried to put the gym back to rights. In the end he realized tossing the whole mess out and starting over was the only logical conclusion and kicked the rubble in to a pile. He then sat down to wait.

When Bucky got out of the shower he glared at Steve. “Still here?’

“I see your powers of observation haven’t been dampened by this foul mood you are in.” Steve scooted over on the bench.

Bucky glared and ignored his invitation to sit on the floor against the wall.

“You know Banner brought a new intern?” Bucky glared at Steve.

Steve had expected Bucky to say something about memories in healing or Annabelle pushing or anything except this, especially considering how upset Annabelle had seemed.

“Uh… Daniel? David?” Steve frowned trying to remember the guy’s name.

“David.” Bucky glared.

“Yeah, OK, David.” Steve shrugged not really caring. He stayed out of the labs. “What about him. Is the guy giving you grief or something?”

Steve found it hard to believe the wiry little intern was willing to tangle with the Winter Soldier but who knew what weird ideas people got.

“Do you know Annabelle is now showing him to his new quarters and fixing herself up for it likes it’s a date?” Bucky glared at Steve like he was looking for an excuse to bloody Steve if he made a wise remark about it.

Steve raised his eyebrows. Was Bucky actually jealous? Was the man blind? “Uhhh… Buck… I don’t know what you think is going on… but I can promise you Annabelle isn’t interested in that intern.” Steve said with absolute firm certainty.

“Yeah, and what would you know about it?” Bucky snorted. “I don’t remember you having such a great track record with women.”

Steve nodded. “You’re right. I didn’t. Because I was never looking for women. I was looking for one woman. Just one. And Annabelle? She isn’t looking for men. She has always been looking for just one man. And because you seem to have actually brought all that stupid back with you, I am telling you that she has already found him.”

Bucky just didn’t dare believe in anything anymore. “And how the hell do you know this guy isn’t…”

Steve just groaned in disbelief. “Are you really that dense? Annabelle has been more than half in love with you since… Well hell, even I don’t know when, but I suspect a lot longer than she will ever admit to. And she doesn’t give one damned that you were the Winter Soldier, or even if that was who you were permanently. To be honest? I am not certain Annabelle can really tell the difference except that sometimes you remember things that happen and sometimes you don’t. And sometimes you are forced to commit acts against your will. Beyond that? There is no Bucky/Winter Soldier. She has no fear of you. None. She trusts you in ways that don’t even make sense to me, and I am your best friend. But I will tell you what, no way in hell would I approach you willingly without worrying you were going to attack when you were under the influence of the HYDRA control words. Annabelle? She never stopped having faith in you. If that isn’t love you tell me what is. And you are actually telling me that you think showing someone to their room, a sweater and makeup changed literally any of that?”

Steve had no idea how the man had spent so much time in Annabelle’s presence and not noticed how uncomfortable she was with almost every other person. Even with Steve she had gone out of her way to try. She later told him she had never seen anyone who was probably lonelier than she was and so she tried.

Bucky rubbed his hand over his face. “Steve… I don’t know which is worse. That she wants this guy David or that she might actually… I am no good for anyone. I am broken. Possibly… hell, probably, beyond repair.”

Steve stood up giving Bucky his hand and pulling him to his feet. “I doubt that is true. And anyway, it probably doesn’t help but none of those issues matters to Annabelle. I can promise you this. It will be you or no one for her. She won’t ever ask for more than you can give her. That isn’t Annabelle. But she won’t ever go running after anyone else either.

Bucky felt like an absolute ass. He couldn’t offer Annabelle anything but his undying loyalty and friendship, but he had hurt her. And that was unacceptable. “I need to go find Annabelle.” Bucky left the gym without another word.

Steve hoped Bucky would wise up soon. Both of his friends deserved happiness.

Annabelle had wanted to go to her room and have a good cry, but instead she went and found David. While David himself was nice enough what she really wanted was to play with his puppy. It was a big Neapolitan mastiff puppy who may have been enormous but was still a big cry baby and Annabelle had fallen in love at once. When she had first laid eyes on him he was on an exam table getting shots and howling as though he were being flayed alive and having salt poured in his wounds. It was at once the most heart breaking and adorable sight she had ever seen. It was love at first sight for the puppy as well.

Annabelle took David to his rooms and then took Brutus on a walk around the indoor gardens. By the time she was done both of them were thoroughly worn out.

Annabelle dropped off Brutus with David and went back to her apartment to shower. She smelled like big slobbery dog and her muscles were sore. A hot shower was just the thing she needed.

Bucky and Annabelle had never stood on ceremony so when he arrived in her apartments and heard her shower on he sat down on her couch and turned the TV on to wait for her to come out.

In his mind he rehearsed every apology he could come up with for his brutish behavior. All of his good intentions went out of the window when he saw her. In a pair of small shorts and a tank top with no makeup on it was clear what she had been trying to hide.

“Annabelle! Good God what have you done to yourself?!” he shouted.

There were dark circles under her eyes as if she had not slept well in weeks. She had clearly lost a great deal of weight. She looked ill and on the brink of collapse.

“James… I can explain…” Annabelle held up a hand.

Bucky crossed his arms over his chest.

Annabelle sighed and sat down. “When I heal someone... I take on their memories… their pain… Annabelle closed her eyes. “I have to so I can overlay them with good memories from their past. It is how the healing works.” Bucky nodded he knew this he was remembering far more pleasant things from his past than his times with HYDRA. Those memories were still there but other memories came through stronger. “There are side affects however. I also get their…”

“Their what..?” Bucky was afraid of what she was going to say next.

“Nightmares.” Annabelle whispered.

Bucky stared at Annabelle in horror. She had been reliving his nightmares. No wonder she looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks. She probably hadn’t. “The sessions stop.”

Annabelle jumped up and grabbed his arm. “No James! Please! We are so close to something! I know it, I can feel it. I am begging you. You can make it safe for me can’t you? You said your nightmares got better before right? How did that happen?”

Bucky sighed. “We shared a bed.”


	14. Drooling Hell Hound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky tries to make up for hurting Annabelle

****

Annabelle tapped her knuckles together nervously a few times. Looking around her apartment she cleared her throat a few times. “Well… I have more things to move so… it would probably better if you..”

Bucky paled. “Annabelle I am NOT moving in here!”

She didn’t really think he was going to be sharing her bed did she? Did she think he was made of steel like one of her damned robots?

Annabelle frowned not understanding. “OK, but I have a lot more to move, unless I want to trek down the hall each day, I suppose that could work too…”

Apparently that was exactly what she thought.

“For crying out…” Bucky coughed. “You aren’t moving in with me either.”

“What then…? Oh.” Annabelle said, finally understanding. “I see, you were only saying when… not… I am sorry I misunderstood.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair. “Annabelle, it just wouldn’t be appropriate... before you were ill… it was different.”

“No I understand, James. It’s fine... really... it was thoughtless of me… I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.” Annabelle collected the clothes she had been wearing to walk Brutus in.

Bucky felt like the enormous ass that he was. “Annabelle, I am sorry. That was uncalled for. I never should have said something like that to you. In all of this time you have been nothing but…”

Annabelle shook her head. “No, you were right. I have treated you like an invalid. That was unacceptable. You are right. You got along just fine without me. I am sure you want your privacy to be able to entertain visitors and… whatever… I shouldn’t assume that just because I don’t… entertain…”

Bucky had no idea what Annabelle was talking about until he noticed how she was blushing. “Good lord Annabelle… that isn’t… I am not look to entertain anyone in my apartment. That isn’t the damned reason it is inappropriate for us to share a bed.”

It just wasn’t possible for her to be that damned innocent. Not growing up with Tony Stark as a brother.

“Well… I am certain it is none of my business who you choose or do not choose to entertain.”Annabelle dropped her armload of clothes in to a basket. “I have to do a load of laundry. Brutus drooled all over these. If you have anything that needs tending to drop it off I will see to it.”

Bucky only heard Brutus and drooled. Who the hell was she allowing to drool all over her?

“Who the hell is Brutus?” He snapped.

“Don’t take that tone with me James.” Annabelle had enough of his attitude for one day. “I won’t have it.”

Bucky almost smiled at her sass. Not many people would snap back at him like that. It made him feel normal. “I’m sorry, Belle. Who is Brutus?”

Annabelle wasn’t ready to forgive and forget. She kept throwing clothes in her basket. JARVIS made her learn to be self sufficient when he discovered home economics as a school course. “Brutus is David’s puppy. He is very sweet but he is also a little on the large side and he drools a bit. David has a hard time keeping up with his work and the lab so Brutus doesn’t get much exercise. I took him for a walk in the gardens. He is a little rambunctious and needs to be socialized.”

Bucky knew Annabelle was rambling to avoid talking about their argument earlier. “Belle… you know I can’t let you keep up the sessions. It is killing you…” He whispered.

“So… your health is your business and if I am concerned it is meddling.” Annabelle walked towards her door. “And my health is your business and that is perfectly acceptable because…?”

“You know why.” Bucky said quietly.

“I thought I did.” Annabelle opened her door. “I was clearly mistaken. You know your way out.”

Bucky stared at the door she had closed behind her. He would have been happier if she had slammed the door. Shown some anger. A little passion.

He knew he had messed up. Annabelle didn’t look mad or sad. She looked disappointed in him. Bucky thought he could have handled just about anything else.

Looking in at Annabelle’s bed Bucky knew what he had to do.

Half an hour later he was staring in to the jaws of a huge snarling beast.

“THAT is what Annabelle is calling a sweet puppy? That drooling hell hound?!” This was no sweet, if slightly large puppy. This creature damned near looked him in the eyes and had to weigh over a hundred pounds. It had wrinkles that cascaded in rolls from its eyes past its bottom jaws and it looked about as sweet as a chain saw to the groin.

“Brutus was my sister’s dog.” David explained. In spite of his initial distrust of the man Bucky quickly learned David was far more interested in checking him out than he was in checking out Annabelle. “She had to leave him behind when she was deployed overseas. He doesn’t attack me, but he sure doesn’t like me. I can’t take him out or he will attack others. The only one I have seen him not attack is Annabelle. She doesn’t even seem to notice he hates all other creatures.”

“Yeah…” Bucky mumbled. “She wouldn’t. If you are having a hard time with him would you consider letting Annabelle have him? She loves him and you know he would get good care.”

“You had me at “yeah”…” David laughed. “She can collect him any time.”

“I’ll take him now.” Bucky grabbed the leash with his metal hand and slung a bag of dog food over his other shoulder. “He can gnaw on this if he dares.”

And Brutus tried to chew that metal arm half way to their floor. When he realized the only one he was hurting was himself he gave up and glared at Bucky balefully. Bucky had him far enough away he couldn’t even take a chunk out of his leg.

By the time they got out of the elevator near Annabelle’s apartment Brutus was walking calmly, if unhappily, on his leash.

When Bucky opened Annabelle’s door Brutus immediately started whining and lunging forward.

Annabelle had been napping on the couch but sleeping fitfully. Bucky could tell she was having some sort of nightmare. On a hunch he let Brutus go. The dog immediately ran to Annabelle and began nudging her and licking her face. Annabelle rolled over and wrapped her arms around the dog.

“Hey boy.” She whispered sleepily, waking up. “How did you get here, my sweet boy?”

Brutus whined happily and sat down his head on Annabelle’s stomach. Annabelle looked up and noticed Bucky.

“Hey there.” She smiled tentatively. “Taking Brutus for a walk?”

As if I would take that hell beast for a walk he thought but wisely kept his opinion to himself.

“No, I am taking him to his new mistress.” He brought in the giant bag of food in from where he had sat it by the door.

Annabelle sat up confused. “What? Why would David give me his sweet boy? Get down you oaf.” Annabelle pushed Brutus down.

“This may surprise you but not everyone thinks that dog is a perfect angel.” Bucky looked for a place to put the dog food finally settling on the pantry floor.

Annabelle was pulling on Brutus’ face wrinkles. “How could anyone think that about this big sweet puppy?”

“Ok first. That is NOT a puppy.” Bucky pointed out the obvious. “And your “sweet boy” chewed on my metal arm all the way down here.”

“He is just scared. And maybe he is teething he is only a year old.” Annabelle hugged Brutus. “He has had a rough life. David’s sister only got him a month before she left she found him on a mission and the people she took in to custody left him chained up in a dark basement. Isn’t that awful? They just wanted him as a guard dog and they wanted him to be mean, But I swear he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Or he doesn’t want to have one anyway. And then David’s sister left and David moved here and had no time for him.”

“And then he met you.” Bucky watched the dog climb up and put his head in Annabelle’s lap and close his eyes in bliss and peace while she stroked his head gently. He suddenly wanted to be a dog.

“They were giving him his vaccinations and he hated it.”Annabelle smiled down at Brutus. “He was crying and terrified but they all thought he was being vicious and ready to attack so I came in and rescued him. I held him while he got his shots.”

Only Annabelle would look at that snarling viscous creature and see a lonely frightened beast that needed to be held and reassured.

It was a few minutes before Bucky could speak. When he finally did he cleared his throat. “I thought maybe if you had the dog you might not have nightmares. And if… IF you start eating and sleeping again… we could try again.”

Annabelle tried to jump up in excitement but Brutus held her down whining. “Oh get off of me you filthy animal or I swear you are getting a bath again.”

At the mention of bath the huge dog got up, ran to Annabelle’s bedroom and tried unsuccessfully to hide under her bed. All he managed was to get his head stuffed under and let out pitiable howls.

“Oh stop it.” Annabelle admonished him with her hands on her hips. “You were positively filthy. That bath in no way diminished your manhood. Or doghood. Or whatever it is you think you have.”

Brutus settled down into whining again but his tail did start wagging. Annabelle laughed making his tail wag even faster the hard “whump whump whump” threatening to knock pictures off of her night stand.

One of them Bucky notices is a hand drawn picture of an older man holding a little girl. Something about it looks oddly familiar. It is a surprisingly good drawing. Walking into the room Bucky picks it up and studies it.

Looking at Annabelle Bucky nods towards the picture.

“Oh.” Annabelle blushes slightly. “It is silly I suppose. It is just kind of how I pictured JARVIS would look if, you know, he had a body.”

“You are very good.” Bucky put the picture down.

Annabelle smiled. “Thank you. When you spend a lot of time a lone you develop a lot of solo hobbies.”

Slapping Brutus on the butt she called “Come on, out you pop, let’s find you a treat.”

Treat was clearly the magic word. Brutus was out like a flash sniffing around the bedroom looking for the place where these promised treats might be kept. He was sniffing around in her dresser when she got him stopped.

“I don’t keep treats in my underwear drawer.” Annabelle laughed turning red when Brutus came out with a pair of black lace panties wrapped around one ear. “Give me those!”

Bucky absolutely disagreed with that statement but kept that observation to himself as Annabelle took Brutus to the kitchen and fed him bites of a left over steak she was chopping in to cubes for him.

“You are going to spoil him, Annabelle, he needs a firm hand.” Bucky warned.

“He had a firm hand, James.” Annabelle reminded him. “Look where that got us. A huge fearsome guard dog that very few even want to see anything different in. So afraid to let anyone near him he is hiding out in my room. He deserves to be spoiled with love.”

Bucky wondered if they were still talking about the dog.

Bucky noticed Annabelle was willing to talk about the dog and even the potential of maybe going back to work healing him but was still not really looking at him or speaking to him. Normally she was a regular chatter box who shared every inane part of her day whether he wanted to hear it or not.

“Belle… I am sorry I hurt you.” Bucky said quietly. “I was… I didn’t like the thought that you were maybe…”

Annabelle turned patiently to look at Bucky waiting for him to finish his sentence. She didn’t say a word. Annabelle knew whatever it was that was bothering him he had to come to terms with it.

“I thought you were going out of your way to fix yourself up for David and I didn’t like it much.” Bucky finally finished.

That was an understatement Annabelle thought. “I can understand that James. I always understood. But in the future I wish you would ask me instead of jumping to conclusions.”

That was it? Bucky thought. She just… understood? Of course she had. She had touched his hand when she pulled the mug shards out. She already knew why he was upset. She was just waiting for him to come to terms with it and stop saying hurtful things. Just like she did with everyone else. She had once told him about the draw backs of being an empath. He had never considered this might be one of them.

Then with suggesting he would want to entertain… she knew he would never be willing to take anything further with her out of an overwhelming need to protect her. Steve was right. She never offered a word of complaint. She never asked more out of anyone than they were willing to give. Something in this made him hate himself as much as anything he had ever done under the control of HYDRA. And this he had control over.

“Annabelle…” He whispered stepping forward, not even knowing what to say or do.

Annabelle put a hand on his chest gently. “It is alright James. Truly. Let me rest and pull myself together. I have a feeling we are very close to… something. More than anything else, I just want you to finally feel like you are free from them.”

Bucky nodded and started to leave so she could rest.

“And thank you for Brutus.” Annabelle called out. “It is nice to have someone who needs me”


	15. Hey There Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Triggering the Winter Soldier

_“But I knew him.”_

They had been at this for hours. Days. Annabelle knew the secret to Bucky’s trigger words were in here. Somewhere.

She had gone over and over how he was awakened what happened after he was awakened. Something in that process…

Annabelle had watched every fight between Bucky and Steve. Over and over. She overlaid them with memories of their youth and pushed the memories back to the status of half remembered nightmares.

But something in this one stuck.

Bucky pulled away. “You need to eat Annabelle.” He squeezed her hands.

This had been their agreement. When she put back on some weight and the dark circles cleared up, Bucky agreed to try again. But she stopped when he said. Ate when he said. And slept regularly.

Brutus had been a big part of that. Annabelle ate when he did. She put him on a feeding schedule meaning she was also on a feeding schedule. Walking him regularly meant she was exhausted at night and could sleep. Having him next to her at night nudging her and licking her face when she had a nightmare kept the worst of the horrors at bay.

Brutus even began to tolerate Bucky in the apartment. As long as his mistress was happy he was happy.

Annabelle stood up and leaned over the sink. “It is in there James. Something in that moment. That one damned moment. Why can’t I find it?”

Bucky got up and brought Annabelle back to her chair. After making her a mug of tea and bringing her a steaming bowl of soup he resumed his place across from her.

“Eat this.” He said firmly. He crossed his arms.

Annabelle knew he would not discuss anything further until she had eaten. Glaring at him annoyed she did as she was told.

When she finished eating he took the mug and soup bowl from her. Experience taught him she was prone to picking up some of his aggression after a session. After more than one mug and bowl were smashed against a wall he was careful to remove them from her reach.

Laying a hand on Annabelle’s shoulder as he walked past Bucky told her. “You aren’t a machine Annabelle, HYDRA made this difficult for a reason.”

Machine… machine…

Annabelle jumped up and turned to Bucky. “The machine! Of course how could I be so stupid! I was focusing on the humans. It was never about the humans! In all of that time they would have changed… become unreliable… but the machine…”

Bucky was confused. “What machine? What are you talking about?”

“James, please, one more time today… If you are up to it…” Annabelle pleaded. “I think… I think I know where the block is.”

Bucky looked skeptical “Alright. One more time. Briefly. But if you start to tire at all I am pulling the plug for today.”

“Alright, deal!” Annabelle agreed quickly.

Too quickly in Bucky’s opinion. “I mean it Annabelle and no amount of pleading will make me change my mind.”

Annabelle realized he expected her to argue later or try to change his mind. Laughing she sat down and held out her hands. “I promise to be a good girl.”

With a last warning look Bucky took her hands and opened his mind to her.

_Bucky showing far more signs of awareness than he had before. And regret. "But I knew him."_

_Pierce turns to the scientists. "Prep him."_

_A scientist looks at Bucky worried. Not the way one looks at a human worried, but the way one fears a lab experiment would go wrong if pushed. "He's been out of cryo-freeze too long."_

_Pierce sneered in disgust at the scientist's concern "Then wipe him and start over." As if it was of little consequence._

_The scientists strap Bucky in his chair and then place a teeth shield in his mouth as they begin the process of wiping his brain with Bucky screaming in pain._

Into a machine.

Machines Annabelle understood. She finally knew what wall she had to break down.

Reaching back she found the part of Bucky’s memory where that same machine had been used to wipe Bucky’s memories. Only memories can’t ever be truly removed. Only suppressed. It was, in fact, exactly how her powers worked. Only instead of using the power to heal these people were using it to harm.

 _Longing, Rusted, Furnace, Daybreak. Seventeen, Benign, Nine, Homecoming, One, Freight Car_ were repeated over and over until they were memorized. And then pain added until he was taught to respond with the appropriate phrase to make the pain stop. Flood the body with endorphins as a reward for performing well and brain washing became all too possible. When you add psychopaths who were trained in other highly sophisticated brainwashing techniques… Annabelle mentally shuddered.

She needed first to do something about those words. She could not remove them, they were too ingrained but maybe she could… yes, she could scrambled the order. Randomly she mixed the order needed to trigger them so thoroughly even she didn’t know the right order to say them in. She hated using his memory of the machine to do it but there was no help for it. She changed the order, doubled some so instead of nine it was ninenine said as if it were one word.

That fixed those but there needed to be a safeguard. Something that would wrest him back from HYDRA’s control just in case. Annabelle was leaving nothing to chance.

But it had to be a happy memory. She refused to use any further pain. Something strong. And recent. The memories of Bucky and Steve’s childhood were strong but distant.

She found a lot of good memories from their trip around the world. Many might do. Then one memory floated to the surface.

Several memories in fact. She was either looking up or down at him smiling and saying “Hey there Soldier.”

Well… that was… something. It would work as a memory and a trigger phrase. Flooding his mind with the memory of endorphins and responding to his trigger words Annabelle worked until she was certain he would not respond to HYDRA's word but would respond to her.

The next trick was to bring Bucky back. Annabelle decided simply calling his name and Avenger Tower floor number would do for now. She repeated the process as she had with the Winter Soldier trigger words.

Or as certain as she could be without a real world test.

She was rather surprised that Bucky had not put an end to her experiment yet. This was way beyond anything they had agreed on.

When Annabelle finished she pulled back and looked at Bucky he was just watching her quietly.

“Are you… OK?” She asked him a little worried.

Bucky frowned confused. “Why wouldn’t I be? Have you changed your mind?”

Now it was Annabelle’s turn to be confused. “Changed my mind about what, James?”

“You must be a lot more exhausted than you are willing to admit.” Bucky studied her carefully. “Did you take a nap there? I am fine with stopping. We can pick up whatever you wanted to try tomorrow.”

Annabelle looked at Bucky for any sign that he was having her on. He seemed completely serious. He did not seem to have any idea that they had been working.

“That damned machine.” Annabelle hissed. “In some ways I suppose it is a blessing you can’t remember much of it.”

Bucky cocked an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“I… need to perform a test…” Annabelle said hesitating.

“Is it dangerous?” Bucky was not comforted by her tone.

“Umm… maybe.” Annabelle bit her lip. “Not to me. But… yeah. Maybe. It depends on…”

“On what exactly?” Bucky sat up. “And to who?”

“To others maybe…” Annabelle fretted “and on how you feel about… well.. not YOU exactly… but…”

Bucky was growing impatient. “Just spit it out.”

“I think I have broken HYDRA's control but there is only one way to test that.” Annabelle hedged.

“And the rest?” Bucky wasn’t fooled for an instant. He knew Annabelle wasn’t telling him everything. She was a terrible liar.

“And I wanted to make sure that even if they did somehow manage to break through that I had a safeguard so I…” Annabelle hesitated.

“What did you do?” Bucky’s tone was wary.

“I created a new set of control words.” Annabelle confessed.

“Why would you do that?!” Bucky exploded.

“Because I didn’t want them to be able take you away from me and not be able to get you back!” Annabelle screamed back at him.

“Annabelle…” Bucky started guilt washing over him. He knew how frightened she had been the last time that he had been caught by just the HYDRA trigger words.

“NO!” Annabelle shouted again. “I won’t go through that again James. You can’t ask that of me. This right here. This is my price. That no matter what I can always get you back.”

“Alright.” Bucky reached out and wiped away tears she had not known she had been crying. “But we aren’t trying this alone. Get the others down here.”

In fifteen minutes Tony, Steve, Natasha and Bruce were in the room with them. Annabelle explained exactly what she had done. Most stared at her in mute horror.

“That was really dangerous, Anna.” Steve finally spoke up.

“What the hell did you THINK I was doing in here, Steve?” Annabelle huffed.

“I don’t know, making him feel better?” Steve shrugged.

“There are very few ways to do that and Tony nixed all of the fun ones.” Annabelle shrugged.

The men stared at her not quite sure if she meant what they thought she meant. Natasha just smirked.

“Are you sure about this?” Tony was fully suited up. “Of all of the experiments in this tower this seems one of the most extreme.”

“You poked me in the chest trying to bring out the other guy.” Bruce reminded him.

“Well, yeah, but not in the Tower.” Tony had the audacity to make this sound perfectly rational.

“Yes, I am sure.” Annabelle put an end to the non sense. “I am going to say the trigger words in English, Natasha in Russian and… we will see.”

Annabelle heaved a sigh of relief when neither worked. So did everyone else.

“Now, just once more…” Annabelle looked at Bucky. “Are you ready?” She whispered.

Bucky nodded. “I trust you.”

Annabelle smiled. “Good, because I trust you too.” Kneeling at his feet she placed her forearms on his thighs and looked up. She happened to know this was his favorite position to see her in. “Hey There Soldier.”

The effect was instantaneous. Bucky sat up straight eyes forward “Gotovy podchinit'sya… Oh, it is you, draga.”

“Hey there soldier,” Annabelle smiled up at him. “How are you feeling?”

The Soldier reached out and cupped Annabelle’s face running his thumb over her cheek. “You have not been sleeping and you have been crying.”

“I didn’t ask how I have been.” Annabelle said softly. “I asked how you have been.”

A dangerous smirk played across the Soldier’s face. “And that is my answer. If you want a complete mission report send your Avengers away.”

Annabelle’s face instantly heated up and she buried her face in her arms.

“That is not happening.” Tony spoke up from behind them. “Send your assassin friend away now.”

“I really don’t want to.” Annabelle looked up at the Soldier.

“It is alright, draga.” He glared around the room. “They can only keep me away so long. I will always protect you. No one is taking me away.”

Annabelle nodded. “Bucky floor 12.” And with that the Soldier was gone.


	16. A Quiet Walk Around the Neighborhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle tries to take Brutus on a nice quiet walk outside of the Tower.

“Absolutely not, Anna. That was a one off.” Tony was working on some new suit in the lab and barely looked up.

“But Tony…” Annabelle pleaded “I wasn’t even asking for permission, just increased security measures, just in case because there are some things I may have to tap in to in order to continue working and the healing process and…”

“I happen to agree with your brother.” Bucky said from the door.

“But that is ridiculous!”Annabelle stomped her foot in frustration. “How am I supposed to heal that part of your mind if you don’t want me ever using the trigger words again?”

“You aren’t.’ Tony and Bucky spoke at the same time.

“This is a hell of a time for you two to start agreeing with one another.” Annabelle glared at them. “Why don’t you try bonding over football instead of bossing me around?”

Tony didn’t even look up from his welding. “This is faster and requires fewer snack breaks.”

“And you made a promise never to use those words without my express permission.” Bucky reminded her. “So unless you intend to break that promise…”

Annabelle opened and closed her mouth a few times. “You two are impossible! I am taking Brutus for a walk!”

Annabelle slammed the door to the lab.

“She seemed upset.” Bruce observed.

“She’ll get over it.” Tony and Bucky spoke together again.

Both, “Stop that.”

Bucky turned to leave. “This is too much even for me. I am out.”

“He is going after Annabelle.” Bruce grinned.

Tony snickered. “He is absolutely going after Annabelle. She has him wrapped around her little finger. Damned shame when that happens to a guy.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow, “Has Pepper sent over your itinerary for today?”

Tony nodded. “She faxes it over every morning like clockwork… shut up and get back to work.”

Bruce laughed. He knew Tony and Pepper were working on things and he was glad but if anyone was wrapped firmly around a well manicured nail it was Tony Stark.

Annabelle had worked Brutus to the point he could now be walked calmly on a leash. While he was still suspicious of strangers he obeyed her command to return to her side.

Annabelle decided it was time to take him for a walk outside of the Tower. Snapping on his leash and grabbing a bag full of treats Annabelle took the lift down.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. should anyone ask where I am, I will be walking Brutus around the Tower, I don’t expect to be gone more than an hour or so and I have my phone on me.” Annabelle informed the AI.

While she and F.R.I.D.A.Y. would never build the relationship she had shared with JARVIS Annabelle did not take that out on the new AI.

“Yes Miss Stark.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied. “Will there be anything else?”

“Nothing now, F.R.I.D.A.Y. thank you.” Annabelle had dressed warmly, the air was still chill. Winter had not quite left them and there was still plenty of snow on the ground for Brutus to plow through.

Annabelle became so engrossed in watching Brutus play and laughing at his antics that she wasn’t quite certain when she had picked up a tail. She wasn’t terribly concerned the Tower was still well within sight, she was only a couple of blocks away, but a man in a grey wool coat and cap was definitely following them.

“Alright, Brutus, it is time for us to head back now.” Annabelle called the dog back to her side. “Just up ahead we can make that turn and it will take us straight back to the Tower. We will let the others know and they will… drat… when did that fence get installed?”

Annabelle could have easily scaled the fence, but there was no way Brutus was getting over. “OK Brutus so we just backtrack and…”

It was too late. The man had entered the alley behind them. He didn’t look so bad. Maybe he was a fan looking for Avenger autographs. Not badly dressed. Well groomed.

The pistol he had pointed at her looked well oiled.

OK, not an Avenger fan then.

He motioned with the pistol. “Step further in to the alley Miss Stark.” His accent was thick eastern European, not Romanian. “It is not you I have come for but I will not hesitate to shoot you if necessary.”

Annabelle held up her hands, still holding Brutus’ leash. Brutus was growling low.

“Shut that dog up or I will shoot him.” The man threatened.

“No you won’t.” Annabelle sounded much calmer than she felt. “That would give up your position much sooner than you intend. What do you want?”

“You are going to call the Winter Soldier.” The man motioned towards the phone in her hand. “You will bring him to me.”

“I will do no such thing.” Annabelle still sounded calm. “You may shoot me now. But it will gain you nothing.”

“Indeed?” The man smiled. “The GPS in your phone will bring the Winter Soldier directly to you. We will still have won. All you will have achieved is your own death.”

Annabelle looked down at the phone in her hand. It was an LG. S.H.I.E.L.D agents carried modified versions of them for a reason. With a sigh she lifted the phone. The man sneered in triumphant, certain he had won her cooperation.

Pressing the quick release battery button that was one of the modifications, Annabelle ejected the button and threw the battery over the fence far behind her. The only sure fire way to shut off GPS tracking was to get rid of the battery.

While the man was distracted by the battery over the fence Annabelle threw what was left of the phone at his face and released Brutus. “Get him boy!”

The gun was turned on Brutus and fired.

Bucky had gone in search of Annabelle but decided to give her a few minutes to calm down. Expecting her to bring Brutus to the indoor garden area he went down and took a seat shooing out the few people who were there by warning them Annabelle was bringing her dog down.

After twenty minutes when Annabelle had not shown up Bucky wondered out loud just where she was.

“Miss Stark said to inform anyone who asked after her whereabouts to inform them she has taken Brutus for a walk outside of the Tower and expects to return within the hour.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

“Why didn’t you say so before?” Bucky stood up. “How long has she been gone?”

“You did not make an inquiry. Miss Stark left the Tower 32 minutes ago.” Came the reply.

Bucky growled and stormed off to the lift bringing up his tracking system. Thankfully Annabelle wasn’t far. It seemed she had stayed close to the Tower.

As he was tracking her location the arrow disappeared. While he was trying to figure out what had gone wrong a single gunshot sounded not far away.

Bucky started running. The Winter Soldier finished.

When he got to the alley the sight before him brought him up short. Annabelle was standing over a man on the ground and she was furious. Her dog had the man by the throat just holding him down. She was giving the man hell.

“You interrupted my walk. You made me break my phone. You tried to use me to lure James in to a trap and then you shot at my dog?!” She shouted. “Oh if I had my phone on me I would call Nick and you would be stuffed so far under a S.H.I.E.L.D cell. But you are going to tell me everything I want to know and if you dare take an L pill I will pump your stomach the hard way.”

The soldier had no idea what the hard way was but it sounded unpleasant. And amusing. He chuckled.

Annabelle looked up and frowned. Glaring back down at the man laying prostrate she shouted “NOW look at what you have done! I wanted to keep James OUT of this. It could have all been handled between you and me but no, you insisted on luring him here. Well now you have, congratulations, dumbass.”

“I told you he would come.” The man gasped looking triumphant. He began choking out words. “ _Longing, Rusted, Furnace, Daybreak. Seventeen, Benign, Nine, Homecoming, One, Freight Car.”_

The Soldier in no way felt triggered. He felt nothing about the words at all. The same could not be said for Annabelle. They made her furious.

“Oh do shut up.” Annabelle clubbed him with the pistol she had divested him of earlier, rendering him unconscious. “Bastard.” For good measure she kicked him in the ribs.

Brutus whined up at her with the man’s throat still in his jaws.

“Let him go,” Annabelle commanded. “If I didn’t let you eat him before what makes you think I am going to now? Besides,” she motioned towards the Soldier. “We have a witness now.”

Brutus dropped the man. He was covered in slobber and had distinctive teeth mark bruises forming but he would live.

Annabelle turned and looked James overly thoroughly. “Are you alright?”

He could tell in spite of how calm Annabelle was attempting to appear that she was trembling from head to toe. As much as he wanted to rip apart the man on the ground limb from limb, Annabelle came first. Opening his arms he waited.

Annabelle held on for only a moment trying to be brave. Flinging herself in to his arms Annabelle sobbed and let herself be comforted. “He wanted me to bring you to him.”

“It’s alright. I promised you they could send me away but not keep me away.” The Soldier stroked Annabelle’s back. Pulling back and lowering his face until his lips barely grazed hers he murmured, “I will always return to you, draga.”

Before Annabelle could respond they heard from the end of the alley “So it would seem.”

Looking up Annabelle saw Tony and Steve watching them. Steve was trying not to laugh. Tony wasn’t even hiding his glare.

“Go back to the Tower with Steve.” Annabelle was given a gentle push towards Steve. “Your brother and I will handle this. And take your dog with you.”

“James….” Annabelle said with a warning tone. “I did not take care of knocking that man out so that you could do something stupid and land yourself in trouble.”

“We will take him the back way.” Tony grabbed the man who was just waking up.

“There is a fence in the way…” Annabelle stopped when the fence was crushed like tissue paper under a metal hand.

“Anna…” Steve grabbed her hand. “You don’t want to see any of this.

“Come on Brutus.” Annabelle called patting her thigh.

Brutus walked past and nudged James’ hand for a scratch.

“That’s a first.” Annabelle shook her head.

“Looks like they found something to bond over.” Steve remarked.

“I just wish it wasn’t violence.” Annabelle wiped the drool off of Brutus’ face with the hand towel she kept just for the purpose.

Steve shook his head. “Not violence. Protection.”

Later Bucky came in to check on Annabelle.

“Did you find out who he was?” Annabelle asked, knowing between Bucky and Tony they woud have got the information they needed.

Bucky nodded sitting down. “Zemo sent him.”

“That… he was the one in Siberia?” Annabelle twisted the hem of her shirt in her fist.

“And at the Embassy.” Bucky confirmed.

“So he isn’t going t just give up and go away.” Annabelle sighed. “If I hadn’t had an episode we could have caught him. It is my fault he is still out there plotting.”

Bucky touched her knee. “None of this is your fault Annabelle. You never should have been put in that position to start with.”

“I chose to go.” Annabelle refuted. “I insisted upon it. I knew I was over stressed and I put myself in that position. All because I couldn’t…”

Annabelle left the words unspoken. Bucky had made their position as friends and only friends clear more than once. When the Winter Soldier came out…. Annabelle smiled slightly thinking about how for the briefest of moments before they were interrupted his lips had ghosted over hers.

“Earth to Annabelle.” Bucky called softly. “Where did you go?”

Annabelle shook her head. “Sorry it has been a long day. What will be done with that man?’

Bucky shrugged. “Steve is handling it. Tony and I wanted to put a bullet in him. Steve vetoed that plan.”

“Good!” Annabelle cried out. “No one was hurt. I mean besides him. Let the authorities deal with him.”

“So… as you may have noticed… trigger words… they are not strictly necessary.” Bucky started.

Annabelle wondered when they would have this conversation. She had hoped never. “I had noticed that other stimuli could trigger you yes.”

“Not other stimuli Annabelle.” Bucky shook his head. “Just you.”

Annabelle didn’t say anything just watched Bucky’s face for how he felt about this.

After a moment of silence Bucky went on. “As long as I am near you I will continue to be randomly triggered if I feel like you are in danger.”

Annabelle finally understood. She got up and walked to the window. “I see. Will you let us know where you are?”

“Let you know…? What do you mean?” Bucky sounded genuinely confused. He could tell by her reflection that she was genuinely distressed.

“I assume you have come in to say good bye.” Annabelle swallowed around the lump in her throat. “That was thoughtful. When will you be leaving?”

“Annabelle, damned it, I‘m not going anywhere.” Bucky snapped.

Annabelle turned around and glared at him. “I told you not to take that tone with me James. That I won’t have it.”

Bucky grinned. “I’m sorry, Belle. I didn’t come in here to say good bye.”

Annabelle narrowed her eyes as if judging the sincerity of his apology. “OK, then what are we going to do to fix this?”

Something in Bucky’s chest eased the minute Annabelle asked what are “we” going to do. “Steve keeps saying he doesn’t think you recognize that there two separate parts to me, correct?”

Annabelle nodded slowly. “Then let’s make sure no one else sees that in me either. We put me back together.”


	17. Making Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle helps Bucky create new memories

Annabelle patted Tony’s cheek. “It is cute the way you think I am asking you for permission.”

Annabelle was pulling on her gloves and smiling fondly up at her older brother. As much as Annabelle loved Tony he was becoming more than a bit overbearing.

“Anna, I am not sure it is safe.” Tony fretted. “I am not saying don’t go out at all. I am just saying take someone with you. For protection.”

They had been having this same battle for days. Ever since Annabelle had announced her plans.

Bucky and Annabelle and been bickering for days about his healing progress. After the success with the triggering words Annabelle had expected there to be more. But there had been almost nothing since.

Bucky was a lot more accepting of this than Annabelle was.

“You are wearing yourself out, Belle.” He told her after she had been frustrated to the point of tears. “Rome was not built in a day and neither was the Winter Soldier.”

Bucky had meant the comment in jest but Annabelle broke down sobbing. Bucky was immediately in front of her kneeling with her hands in his.

“Hey.” He whispered softly. “What is this about?”

“I don’t know.” Annabelle confessed. “I feel like something is coming and I can’t protect you from it. Like if I don’t solve this…”

“Belle…” Bucky shook her hands to get her attention. “You are just tired. You have been working hard and being cooped up in here isn’t good for you. It would drive anyone stir crazy. You should get out."

Annabelle didn’t quite believe him. There was a sense of foreboding. Something was imminent and she had no idea how to fight whatever it was. But she knew that Bucky was right about one thing.

“No.” She shook her head. “WE need to get out. There is no way we can make better memories for you cooped up in this Tower. We should get out. Do something fun. Something that doesn’t involve work or healing or anything serious.”

Like a date? Bucky wanted to ask but didn’t dare. He didn’t want to know the answer. “Sure, just two friends hanging out together. Steve and I used to do that all of the time.”

“Yeah, just like you and Steve used to do.” Annabelle faked an enthusiasm for that comparison she didn’t feel.

Bucky knew he had hurt her by saying that but didn’t know what he could say to fix it. “I have an appointment to see a specialist S.H.I.E.L.D. sent over and we can go after that if you want.”

“OK, I will let Tony know and get dressed. Wear something warm, it may not be Siberia, but New York winters are plenty cold.” Annabelle warned him.

“I remember.” Bucky gave her a lopsided grin.

Annabelle had explained to Tony her plans and that was when the big brother had come out.

“Tony.” Annabelle sighed. “I don’t need any more protection. For God’s sake. You make me carry a pistol. James was a sergeant in the Army. A trained fighter. If absolutely needed the Winter Soldier can and will show up. How much more bloody protection do you think I need?”

“Who do you think I want you to have protection from? Just take someone else with you.” Tony crossed his arms. “For my peace of mind. That’s all I ask.”

Annabelle laughed lightly and kissed Tony on the cheek. “I do love you, brother, but you are such a worrier. I am not taking anyone else along. I have my phone. If I need you I will call and you will swoop in. My own personal Avenger brother.”

Annabelle went to the labs to pick up Tony, surprised to see Maria standing outside waiting.

“Maria!” Annabelle called happily. “Here for a girl’s night?”

Maria perked up at the sight of her friend. “Not this time, Anna. But soon I hope, Director Fury has us all busy rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. and making sure any trace of HYDRA is gone.”

“I can imagine.” Annabelle commiserated. “Nick can be quite the task master when he sets his mind to it. But I will hold you to a girl’s night. What are you doing here then?”

“I brought Doctor Perelli to examine your boyfriend.” Maria grinned.

“Shhh!” Annabelle hissed. “James is not my boyfriend. And ugggh… these old men and their need to poke and examine everything and everyone.”

“Doctor Perelli isn’t exactly an “old man”.” Maria opened the door for Annabelle.

“Old… young, does it really matter…” Annabelle stopped when she spotted the very attractive young woman with her hand on Bucky’s bare arm. In fact Bucky was naked from the waist up.

“Well, Sergeant Barnes, the serum doesn’t seem to have changed your physique for the worse.” The woman was saying. “Of course without a much more thorough examination it is difficult to say…”

“We will make certain you have all of the medical equipment you need for a non invasive examination Doctor.” Annabelle said coldly, stepping in to the room. “It is amazing what cutting edge technology can tell about a patient these days. Why my R&D department assures me our tests are far more accurate than checking someone’s pulse through their bicep. Please put in a requisition with FRIDAY for whatever equipment you will need.”

Doctor Perelli looked as though she would have liked to argue, but the grant money she was being offered for this position was large enough to keep her quiet. “I will do that Miss Stark.”

Maria coughed behind Annabelle to cover up a laugh.

Ignoring Maria, Annabelle turned to Bucky. “If you are ready?”

Bucky had already pulled on his sweater and was zipping up his coat. “Whenever you are.”

“Good.” Annabelle smiled. “I have a surprise for you.”

Taking him down to the garage Annabelle led Bucky over to a vehicle under a tarp. “I hope you like it we have worked hard to get it just right… Steve helped with the details.” Annabelle motioned for Bucky to pull back the tarp.

Pulling the tarp back revealed a silver 1939 Cadillac Series 75 Convertible Coupe. “Whoa. Belle… this is…” Bucky seemed at a loss for words.

“I know it might be a little cold for having the top down, but I thought we might try.” Annabelle looked hopeful. “It seems a shame to have a convertible and not at least try it the first time we take it out.”

Bucky nodded. “This looks just like the car my father had when I was a kid. He won that car in some give away…”

Annabelle nodded. “It is your father’s car. As soon as Steve told me about it I had Tony start looking and we have been working to have it restored.”

Bucky looked at Annabelle blinking. “This… are you sure…?”

Annabelle nodded. “It was supposed to be your Christmas present but it wasn’t ready so now seemed as good a time as any and…”

Bucky swept Annabelle in a crushing hug. “I can’t believe you did this. It is more than… I can never thank you enough Belle. To have something back.”

“Well, you can start by taking me for a ride.” Annabelle smiled up in to Bucky’s face, glad that she could make this one thing happen for him.

“Your chariot awaits, mi’lady.” Bucky held open her door.

It was chilly but Happy had added a nice warm blanket and Annabelle would not have missed the pure joy on Bucky’s face for all of the warmth in the world.

For his part Bucky had never thought Annabelle looked more beautiful with her wind blown hair and flushed cheeks.

After a nice long drive they finally arrived in Central Park. Bucky wanted to take Annabelle on one of his favorite outings from his youth.

Annabelle looked concerned as she allowed Bucky to lace up her skates. “I'm not positive this is a good idea.”

Bucky grinned s he led Annabelle to the ice. "I think it is a brilliant idea.” He steadied her as she slipped. “Oh, I gotcha! I gotcha. Stay up here.”

Annabelle clutched his arms for support. “Okay.”

Bucky laughed at the death grip she had on him. “It's all right.”

Annabelle finally let him set her on her feet. After a few minutes she was able to take a few tentative movements forward on her own holding his hands.

“Here we go.” Annabelle tried to be brave as they pushed off.

They had gone around the ice a few times and Bucky thought Annabelle was improving. She was not so sure. She seemed to have spent more time on her butt than her feet.

“One more time around and then cocoa.” Bucky promised. “You know what? I gotta make all of these new memories, better memories so who better to keep me company than you?”

Annabelle glared at him suspiciously. “You watching me fall on my ass skating is creating good memories for you? Cruel James, just cruel.”

“Oh” Bucky laughed catching Annabelle as she slipped again. “ Ah Ah! Easy, Annabelle.”

“Now I'm gonna go down.” Annabelle pouted.

“Not on my watch.” Bucky assured her. “I have enough natural athletic ability for both of us.”

“Oh, yeah? Natural huh?” Annabelle glared at him. “Or does it just look that way because I have so little?’

Bucky flexed “Natural.”

Annabelle laughed “I can I can see that.”

Bucky swooped her up and spun around. “Real smooth and natural.”

Annabelle squealed. “That's it. Put me down you show off.”

A few other couples stopped to watch their antics. It felt nice, Bucky thought just to be normal for a day. No one knew who they were there was no pressure. No past. They could just be here in the moment.

“Relax.” Bucky held her against him. “Just enjoy the ride.”

Annabelle did as he said wrapping her arms around his neck as he skated them towards the hot cocoa stand. “Oh. That Doctor Perelli, she really enjoyed the idea of working on your case.”

“Yeah. But, um you're the only healer I want to work with.” Bucky slid her to her feet waiting until she was stable before releasing her.

“Will you tell me about how your father won the car? It was quite pricey wasn’t it? Seems like something not found in an ordinary church raffle.” Annabelle moved to a safer topic.

“They were raising money for war bonds.” Bucky grabbed two cocoas. “Why do you always change the subject when you are uncomfortable?”

Annabelle took hers gratefully “It is a Stark trait. We get it from our father.”

“Doctor Perelli is a S.H.I.E.L.D. doctor who only sees me for the traits and stuff HYDRA put in me.” Bucky knew what it had appeared like when Annabelle came in but the doctor had been a little too eager about his enhancements for his taste.

Annabelle wasn’t convinced. “Well, I don't know what traits you had before but I think you're made of very, very good stuff. And Doctor Perelli certainly seemed to think so.”

Bucky took Annabelle’s cocoa cup and set it on the table and took her hands. “Hey, know what? Forget about Doctor Perelli, all right? Nothing's gonna change between me and you.”

Annabelle knew that wasn’t exactly correct nothing positive would change anyway. “Well, entropy is a natural force that pulls everything apart at a subatomic level. Everything changes.”

“Don't!” Bucky shook her slightly. “Don’t do that. Not everything, Annabelle. Not everything changes. You and me. We are the exception.”

With that he swept her back on to the ice making her laugh and drawing her out of the dark mood she had been settling in to. “You're gonna make me fall.”

Bucky looked down at her suddenly serious. “I'm never gonna make you fall. I'm always here.”

Annabelle laid her head on his chest.”I know James.”

Spinning her in a circle he asked, “Are you scared?’

Annabelle threw her head back and laughed. “You kiddin' me? This is kinda fun actually.”

“Watch, here comes the big spin.” Bucky spun the faster until the world was a blur.

“Uh oh.” Annabelle cried out starting to slip

Bucky caught her before she could fall “Whoa! Go easy.”

Annabelle wrapped her arms around his neck again. “What's that mean?”

Bucky laid his head down on hers. “I really don’t know anymore.”


	18. Gung Hay Fat Choy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celebrating the Lunar New Year with the Winter Soldier

****

“Fun James, that is the entire purpose.” Annabelle laughed light at the look on The Soldiers face.

Annabelle had decided this time she would be taking the Winter Soldier out to create memories. She had not asked permission. In fact, she had not bothered to tell anyone about her plans. Tony would have locked her in her room.

Knowing he would probably enjoy it more they had taken a motorcycle out for the Chinese New Year celebration.

At her declaration of “fun” he had looked dubiously between Annabelle and the 3,000 pound steel monkey. “How is this fun?”

“Well…” Annabelle was at a loss for words for how to describe fun. “It is the Year of the Monkey. And so everything is monkey themed and…’

The Soldier looked at her, with a quirked eyebrow. “I understand the concept of “fun” Annabelle. And we have been at this event all day, I understand its purpose. I want to know what would make this monument to bad taste “fun”?”

“Your friend has very strong opinions about art, Annabelle.” A cultured voice with a slight Russian accent spoke from behind them.

Annabelle turned with a happy gasp. “Andres! I didn’t know you were back in the country.”

Andres. The spy she was dating. The Soldier wrapped his arm possessively around Annabelle’s waist anchoring her to his side.

“It has been too long, myshka, I sent word to your Tower I had hoped we might catch up while I am in town.” Andres made no attempt to move close to Annabelle, but The Soldier did not like him this close. And he certainly was not open to any form of “catching up”. His body tensed.

Annabelle squeezed James’ hand against her side reassuringly. “I have been out of town on an extended trip. But where are my manners. Andres Kuznetsov, this is my companion Sergeant James Barnes. James, this is Andres Kuznetsov. He is an old friend. Andres is an art dealer.”

Assessing the Russian the Soldier’s only reply was “Is he now.”

“Indeed.” Andres replied. “I do hope you are enjoying some of the other displays even if this one is not to your taste.” After a moment of watching the man who was holding Annabelle possessively the Russian asked. “Have we met somewhere? I feel as if our business has intersected at some point.”

“Not in art. No.” Was the cold reply. “It is possible you have heard of my professional talents in other arenas.”

A blink was the only outward display that Andres understood his danger. “Indeed. Annabelle, I am holding a small gathering to showcase the talents of an up and coming artist next month. I would be pleased if you and you companion, of course, would attend.”

“Oh I am not certain what my schedule…” Annabelle started to say when the Soldier cut her off.

“Send the list of guests who have been invited and who have RSVP’d to the Avenger Tower.” The Soldier squeezed Annabelle’s side in warning. “After a recent assassination attempt on Annabelle’s life all social events will be pre-approved.”

“An attempt…?” Andres shock was genuine. “I am so sorry. Annabelle are you alright? Can I be of any assistance?”

“We have Annabelle’s safety well in hand.” Came the terse reply. "If we did not she would not be in public now.”

“Of course.” Andres nodded. “Annabelle, it was delightful to see you. I will send your invitations. Sergeant.”

As Andres took his leave Annabelle turned and opened her mouth to say something a couple of times and then shrugged her shoulder.

The Soldier raised an eyebrow. “You wished to ask me something?”

Annabelle sighed. “No. I am not going to ask a question I already know the answer to.”

Leaning down he brushed his lips against her ear. “Good girl.”

Annabelle pursed her lips. “Did you have to be so rude?”

Moving her along the street to the next item on her itinerary he looked down amused. “To your Russian spy ex-boyfriend? Yes.”

Annabelle hissed. “Keep your voice down. Who told you that? Are you trying to get him captured?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps. And your brother did. Outside of the helicarriers when he complained you weren’t smart enough to tell the difference between an art dealer and a Russian spy. I thought he had already been captured?”

“No. That was just most of his associates.” Annabelle tried to remember everything that had been said that day. “And stop trying to confuse me. That was a rough few minutes. You and Steve had just been in a tussle and I can’t remember what I said that might come back and haunt me later.”

“It was a bit more than a “tussle” Annabelle.” He looked distant and sad. “I was trying to complete my mission by killing him.”

“Nonsense, or you would have come with weapons. You are both super soldiers. A fist fight wasn’t going to kill either one of you.” She snapped, surprising him. “Now what else did I say?”

“Ummm…” He still wasn’t quite used to the way she would yell at him like he was anyone else. It made him want to drag her in to the bushes and do unspeakable things to her. “Something about a grass eater.”

“I would NEVER call Adam a grass eater.” Annabelle sounded outraged at the suggestion. “He was a vegan. He didn’t eat meat or use animal products. And I was 19. And he had adorable dimples. I would have done a lot for those dimples.”

He laughed. “And there was some talk about how you and Steve considered it too much pressure to date each other.”

“Uggghhh… can you imagine trying to date Captain America?" Annabelle shuddered. “No offense to your best friend James, I love him dearly, but has he always been just so damned nice?”

He thought for a minute trying to remember. “I used to think he must like getting punched. He would never run from a fight. But he was always standing up for someone else.”

Annabelle nodded “Yeah. That sounds like Steve. Plus he has so many fans. And most of them women. And I am the jealous sort. Eventually he would have wanted someone he could take out in public who wouldn’t cause a scene if someone wanted a friendly handshake or god forbid a hug. And I could never do any of that.”

He just shook his head and laughed. “No, you really aren’t the hugging sort.”

Annabelle laughed a little. “And he doesn’t really like the idea of dating a Stark either. We are peculiar. Tony doesn’t like to be handed anything directly. Absolutely phobic about it. We are a pair.”

“Steve said something about having feelings for you…” There was an uncertainty, a vulnerability in the question.

Annabelle knew they would have to address this at some point. “He lied. We went on one date. It was awful. The entire time he spent signing autographs and I spent trying not to be touched by his fans. They wanted pictures I wanted to be left alone. He was very apologetic. He didn’t expect to be recognized. Why he thinks a baseball cap and a pair of glasses hide his identity I will never know. One child recognized him and the whole thing blew up from there.”

The Soldier nodded. “But still… you must have felt something for him or you would not have agree to go out with him.”

Annabelle shrugged a bit. “I was and am very fond of him. We wanted to see if it could ever be anything more than just very fond. We got our answer. No. And that was OK. He over stepped his place with you. He just wanted to see you happy. It came from a place of love. I am pretty sure after you tried to shred him with helicopter blades he has learned his lesson.”

“That certainly does tend to send a very strong message yes,” They had finally reached the motorcycle. “Alright, draga, where to from here?”

“Back to the Tower.” Annabelle strapped on her helmet and climbed on behind him. “There are fireworks tonight and the very best view is from my balcony. I have had a really nice meal set up and Brutus is off with Natasha.”

Surprisingly the dog had also taken a liking to Natasha and would happily follow her anywhere,

Snuggling in to James’ back Annabelle wrapped her arms around his waist. This was as close as she got to being able to really hold him. It felt good.

They rode past the lion and dragon dancers with their colorful paper mache costumes. The streets litter with bits of red paper and small plastic gold colored coins.

In her opinion the ride was over far too quickly. Annabelle was surprised when James reached out to help her off the bike but kept a hold of her hand when he was done.

When they reached their floor Annabelle took him to her apartment that she had decorated for the lunar new year.

Looking around he raised his eyebrows at all of the festive colors and paper decorations.

Annabelle laughed lightly. “JARVIS and I celebrated every holiday we could. I made a lot of these when I was a little girl.” She indicated the paper lanterns. “And some he ordered. But we always celebrated. He would play music and read me stories.” Annabelle looked sadly around. “I guess… no stories this year.”

FRIDAY came over the com. “I could play recordings of the last celebration Miss Stark.”

“No thank you FRIDAY.” Annabelle smiled sadly. “I appreciate the thought but it wouldn’t be the same.”

Grabbing James by the hand she led him to the balcony where a meal was set up. “Come and see what we have for dinner. Every one of these has a special meaning.”

He knew she was trying to take her mind off of her sorrow and keep things as normal as possible so he allowed her to fuss over him.

Opening cloche after cloche she described the dishes. “Steamed leek dumplings, for everlasting wealth, braised fish for surplus and fortune, boiled sweet rice balls for family reunion, spicy boiled noodles for longevity, boiled won tons for wealth and treasure, fried spring rolls for wealth and fresh start, salty rice cake soup for career advancement and wealth and tea, because… well… tea!”

“This all looks and smells amazing.” He admired. “Where was it all delivered from?”

Annabelle laughed. “No delivery, I prepared this.” She shrugged. “JARVIS taught me.” As though that explained everything.

He supposed it did. “I didn’t realize how much you had depended on him. Tell me about him.”

And as they ate she did. All of the stories of her childhood. Some sweet some sad.

“It seems weird to outsiders, I know.” Annabelle looked over the balcony. “And I know a lot of people criticize Tony because he turned over so much of my education and up bringing to an A.I. but really what could he do? I was miserable around people. And I adored JARVIS. I know... I mean… he wasn’t a real person. He didn’t… couldn’t really love me back… but it felt like it. I never felt deprived. It wasn’t until I was much older that I understood that. As a child I thought he loved me as much as I loved him, so it was OK.”

It didn’t sound OK to him. It sounded perfectly horrifying, but he didn’t say anything.

“And Tony, he was here, he loved me.” Annabelle went on. “He was just afraid to touch me. Pretty much everyone is. JARVIS treated me just like he treated everyone else.”

James thought that was a pretty telling statement. What had she said before? JARVIS treated her like she was normal so she extended him the same courtesy?

Just as he was about to say something, and he was not even certain what he planned to say, when the fireworks went off.

The lights, the explosions…. They were too much. Suddenly it felt like they were under attack.

Grabbing Annabelle he threw her to the floor and pinned her beneath him.

It took Annabelle only a moment to understand what was happening. Stroking his back softly she called his name. “James, those are fireworks. It is OK, we are not being attacked. There is no danger. We are safe.”

She just kept repeating this holding him and rubbing his back until he finally lifted his head and looked down at her.

“Annabelle?” He murmured.

“I’m here. It is alright.” Annabelle stroked the hair from his face.

“Oh God, I thought…” He whispered.

“I know… it is alright.” She kept stroking his face. Her lips dry she licked her bottom lip letting out a sigh.

His eyes narrowed in on her mouth. Annabelle froze her heart beating rapidly in her chest. James took her cheeks in his hand and moving slowly, slow enough she could have stopped him, turned her head if she wanted brought his lips to hers.

When Annabelle’s tongue slid over his lips he was undone.

Scooping her up in his arms he carried her to the bedroom.


	19. No Need to Break ALL of the Commandments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains scenes of an explicit consensual sexual nature if you are uncomfortable with that you may skip this chapter without compromising the story

****

Carrying Annabelle into the bedroom, James lifted her onto her bed covered with red quilts and gold linens.

Annabelle slipped her shoes off and let her bare feet dangle over the edge of the mattress as she sat upright.

James stood before her, the soft light from the lamp gilding one side of his face. His gaze was locked on her. Slowly he removed his coat and dropping it to the floor, ignoring the snow melting in to the carpet.

As he pulled his fitted t-shirt over his head, Annabelle was struck once again by the powerful expanse of his torso, all ribbed muscle and swarthy brawn. His chest was hairless, the skin gleaming like silk over steel, and Annabelle's fingers tingled with the need to touch it. She felt herself blush with anticipation, her face flushed with heat.

James's blue eyes took in her reaction, darkening in response to her raw passion. Annabelle knew that he understood what she wanted, needed, even more than she did. He removed his boots, kicked them aside, and came closer until she caught the scent of salty maleness. He touched the soft wool of her sweater, fingered it lightly. His hand slid over her chest and molded the weight of her breast. The warm squeeze drew a shiver from her, sensation gathering at the hardening tip. She wanted him to kiss her there. She wanted it so badly that she fidgeted, her toes curling, her lips parting with a gasp beneath the suddenly too tight lace bras she was wearing.

Cradling her head in his hands, he bent to kiss her gently, with hot, shallow laps into her mouth, and as she responded he went deeper, demanding more. The kiss went on and on, making her gasp and strain, her own small tongue darting greedily past the edges of his teeth. She was so absorbed in tasting him, so dazed by the current of arousal humming through her, that it took her a little while to realize she was lying back on the bed with him, her hands held tightly in his metal one over her head.

His lips slid to her throat, savoring her with slow, open kisses.

Annabelle was feeling anything but peace and quiet inside, her nerves strung tight, her wrists pulling at the steel bonds. She was dying to touch him, to hold him. "James, let go of my hands."

He shook his head. The leisurely pass of his hand along her front caused her to arch. Slowly sliding his hand under her sweater he released the front clasp of her bras.

"Oh, please," she gasped. "James..."

"Shhh," he soothed. "Not yet." His lips slanted hungrily over hers. "I've wanted you for too long. I need you too much." His teeth caught at her lower lip gently tugging. "One touch of your hands and I wouldn't last a second."

"But I want to touch you," she said moaned ending in a whine.

The look on his face sent a jolt straight through her core. "Before we're through, my love, you're going to touch me with every part of your body." He covered her wild heart beat with a gentle palm. Lowering his head, he kissed her hot cheek and whispered, "Do you understand what we are going to do, Annabelle?"

She took a fitful breath. "I think so. JARVIS told me a few things in the past. And showed me several videos of artificial cattle insemination."

That drew a rare grin from him that he buried in her neck. "If that's the example I'm being compared to, we'll be just fine."

Annabelle wrapped one leg around his and struggled upward to reach his mouth. He kissed her, pushing her back down, sliding one of his knees carefully between her thighs. Gently farther upwards, until she felt an intimate pressure against the part of her that had begun to ache. The subtle rhythmic friction made her writhe, a sort of squirmy, shivery delight surging from every slow thrust. Dazed, Annabelle wondered if doing this with a man she had known so well and so intimately in other ways wasn't somehow far more embarrassing than doing it with a complete stranger might have been.

"James," she whispered suddenly worried, "perhaps you should hurry."

"Why?" he asked smiling against her throat.

"I'm afraid someone will stop us." Annabelle confessed suddenly remembering that the Tower was filled with Avengers.

His head lifted. "No one is going to stop us. An entire Chitauri army could surround the Tower. Explosions. Lightning strikes. This still going to happen. WE are still happening"

"I still think you should go a bit faster." Annabelle pleaded

"Do you?" James smiled in a way that made her heart stop. Relaxed and happy this way he was the handsomest man who had ever lived in Annabelle’s opinion.

He courted her mouth skillfully, distracting her with deep, fervid kisses. At the same time, he took the front of her sweater in his metal hand, taking her wrists in his other, and pulled, tearing the garment in half as if it were no more substantial than tissue paper. Annabelle gave an annoyed gasp but held still. It occurred to her that being with this man was going to be absolute murder on her wardrobe.

James levered himself upward. Grasping her wrists, he pulled them over her head once more, exposing the upper half of her body completely and causing her breasts to lift. He stared at her pale pink nipples. The soft growl that came from his throat caused her to quiver. He bent and opened his mouth over the tip of her right breast, and held it against his tongue...so hot...she flinched as if the contact had scalded her. When he lifted his head, the nipple was redder and tighter than it had ever been before.

His eyes were passion-drowsed as he kissed her other breast. His tongue provoked the soft peak into a stinging bud, soothing it with warm strokes. She pressed upward into the wetness, her breath mixed with low sobs. He drew her nipple between his teeth, clamped it carefully, flicked it. Annabelle moaned as his strong hand traced over her body, lingering in places of unbearable sensation. Annabelle could feel him removing her slacks and panties but other than lifting herself to help him was far too focused on what he was doing to her breasts to be embarrassed about being exposed to him.

Reaching her thighs, he tried to part them, but Annabelle held them bashfully closed. She had not considered that he would be seeing her in such an intimate way.

"I thought you said to hurry?" James whispered near her ear. His lips wandered over her crimson face.

“I do… I just..” Annabelle blushed furiously.

"No," he soothed, "Don’t hide yourself from me. This is how it's supposed to be. You are perfect Annabelle. In every way, and..." His breathing became ragged. "Oh, Annabelle, you're so lovely, let me touch you; let me prove it to you...."

Blushing furiously, but warmed by the look in his eyes, Annabelle let him push her thighs open farther. She tried to stay quiet and still, but her hips jerked as he stroked the place that had become almost painfully sensitive. He murmured softly, passionately absorbed in the soft female flesh. More wetness, more heat, his touch skimming around and over her find a small bundle of nerves just above her opening. Annabelle nearly came off of the bed. He continued swirly with just the right amount of pressure tenderly nudging until one finger slid inside. She stiffened and gasped, and the touch was immediately withdrawn.

"Did I hurt you?" He watched her face worriedly

Her lashes lifted. "No," she said in wonder. "Pain is not the word I would have used." Annabelle looked puzzled. "I was told there would be pain.

"No. Annabelle..." There was a look of tenderness on his face. "What I just did isn't going to cause pain." A brief pause. "If a man goes slowly and allows a woman time to adjust there is never any need to cause pain or trauma. There may be discomfort but only selfish or inexperienced men cause women pain."

"Oh." She pondered that for a moment. "I know you would never hurt me James. I trust you."

Her innocent confession was almost his undoing. He wanted to fall at her feet and plead forgiveness for every sin he had ever committed.

Her toes curled into the covers as a sensuous tension coiled low in her belly. "James, what should I do?"

"Nothing. Only let me please you."

All her life, Annabelle had longed for this intimacy without quite knowing what it was, this slow, astonishing merging with him, this sweet dissolution of self. This mutual surrender. There was no doubt that he was in control, and yet he lingered over the planes of her body with absolute wonder. Almost worship. She felt herself soaking up sensation, her body infused with color and heat.

James wouldn't let her hide any part of herself from him....He took what he wanted, turning and lifting her body, rolling her this way and that, always with gentle care, and yet with passionate insistence. He kissed beneath her arms and along her sides and all over her, running his tongue along every curve and humid crease. Gradually the accumulating pleasure shaped into something dark and raw, and she moaned from the pain of acute need. She needed him to do… something. And told him so. "Please, James…"

"Not yet," he told her between ragged breaths, his tone rough with a triumph she didn't yet understand. "You're so close, I can feel it. Oh God…" He took her head in his hands, kissed her like a man dying of thirst and her lips contained the only moisture in the world, and murmured against the pulse in her neck, "You don't want me to stop yet. Let me show you why."

A frustrated cry escaped her as he slid low between her thighs, his head bending to the swollen place he had been tormenting with his fingers. His mouth on her, licking along her salty folds, spreading her open gently with his thumbs. She bolted upright only to fall back against the pillows as he found what he wanted, his tongue strong and wet.

She was spread beneath him like a pagan sacrifice, illuminated in the soft glow of the lamp light. James worshiped her with hot, long strokes of his tongue, savoring the taste of her pleasure swollen flesh. Moaning, she closed her legs around his head, and he turned deliberately to nibble and lick at one pale inner thigh, then the other. Feasting on her. Taking everything she had and giving it right back.

Annabelle curled her fingers desperately in his hair, divested entirely of any shame as she guided him back, her body telling him wordlessly what she needed...here, please, more, more, now...and she groaned as he fastened his mouth over her with a fast, flicking rhythm. Pleasure coursed through her, wringing a low moan from her lips his name the only word that was coherent, her body a prisoner to her pleasure stiff and paralyzed for excruciating seconds. Every pulse of the universe seemed distilled in to one point of her body before release in one final burst of pleasure his name that sounded like a prayer on her lips.

Annabelle collapsed helplessly as her spasms faded. She was filled with glowing weariness, a sense of peace too replete to allow movement. James released her just long enough to undress himself completely. Naked and aroused, he came back to her. Annabelle held out her arms to him welcoming him back to her. He gathered her up with brute masculine need, settling his body over hers with a possessiveness that both thrilled her and was overwhelming.

Annabelle pulled him to her breast with a drowsy murmur. His back was tough and sleek beneath her fingers, the muscles twitching eagerly at her touch. His head lowered to hers, his shaven cheek stroking against her soft pure one. She met his power with absolute surrender, flexing her knees and tilting her hips to cradle him. There was no battle for dominance.

He pushed gently at first. Her innocent flesh resisted, stretching at his intrusion. Carefully allowing her body time to adjust and never moving harshly or strongly enough to tear into her flesh, he was fully, finally fully surrounded by her soft feminine walls.

In spite of how gentle he was his size was almost too much, too hard, too deep. Annabelle would not have described the sensation as pain. But she could not call it pleasure yet either. It was an intrusion of her flesh and her flesh was not amused. She writhed in reaction, and he buried himself heavily and pinned her down, gasping for her to be still, telling her to wait, he wouldn't move, it would be better. They both stilled, breathing hard.

"Should I stop?" James whispered breathing harshly.

Even now at this point of desperate need, his first concern was for her. Understanding what it had cost him to ask, feeling his need, Annabelle was overcome with a realization of just how much she loved him.

"Don't even think of stopping now," she whispered back.

Reaching down to his lean flanks, she stroked him in shy encouragement. He groaned and began to move, his entire body trembling as he pressed within her.

Although every thrust caused a further stretching where they were joined, Annabelle tried to pull him even deeper. The feeling of having him inside her went far beyond intrusion or pleasure. It became a necessity.

She matched his every thrust with a counter of her own, settling into a steady rhythm, wrapping him in her slender legs, burying her face in his throat and shoulder running her tongue where flesh met metal causing him to shudder. She loved the sounds he made, the soft huffs and growls, the harsh flow of his breath. And the power of him around her and inside her. Tenderly she stroked his back and sides and pressed kisses into the pulse at his neck.

He seemed electrified by her attentions, his movements quickening, his eyes closing tightly, he seemed to lose the rhythm. And then he thrust upward and held, and shook all over nearly convulsing.

"Annabelle," he groaned, burying his face against her. "Annabelle." Her name contained the faith and passion of a thousand prayers.

Several minutes passed before either of them spoke. They stayed wrapped together, fused and damp and unwilling to part.

Finally releasing her he got up and brought in water and a warm wash cloth. Stroking her all over with the cloth reverently Annabelle was arrested by the look in his eyes.

"I'm not good enough for you. But no one is. And it doesn’t matter. I won’t allow anyone else near you. I can’t. But most men, good or bad, have limits to what they would do, even for someone they love. I have none. No God, no moral code, no faith in anything. Except you. You're my religion. My moral compass. My entire reason for being. I would do anything you asked. I would fight, steal, kill for you. I would…"

"Shhh. Hush, love. My goodness." Annabelle pulled his head back to her breast. "There's no need to break all of the laws and commandments, James."

"You don't understand," he said, drawing back to look at her. "You have seen what I am. What I am capable of...”

"I have." Her face was like an angel's, soft and compassionate. "And I have witnessed it through your nightmares...but I don't agree at all with the conclusions you seem to have drawn." Her hands lifted, stroking his stubble roughened cheeks. "You are a good man, James a loving one. HYDRA tried to kill all that inside you, but he couldn't succeed. Because of your strength. Because of your heart."

He looked down at his hands. “How can you let me touch you with these hands? How can you…?

Annabelle took his hands in hers kissing each one, each finger flesh and metal. “I love your hands. Your metal hand soothed me when you knew I could not stand yet to be touched by anything flesh. But you were still human. The best of both worlds. And after everything this one just did…” She suckled on the fingers of his flesh hand causing him to suck in a breath. “I have to admit, it may have its uses.”

“One or two.” He grinned and stroked the tender flesh between her thighs causing her to blush.

“Well…” Annabelle tapped her lower lip with her index finger “I really don’t have anything to compare it to, we may have to try both and see which one I prefer.”

He found her flippant attitude in spite of the blush covering her face absolutely adorable. “We will have to arrange that then. But later.” He added at the hopeful look in Annabelle’s eyes. “You are far too sore right now.”

Annabelle pouted. “I sent Brutus with Natasha. Will I send for him or will you stay with me?”

“I will stay until you are sound asleep.” He promised. “And I will hold you through the night. But I will return to my own room to sleep. Until we know I am no threat to you when I sleep, this is the way it must be draga.”

Annabelle did not like the answer, but she accepted it. Falling asleep wrapped in his arms was exactly what she imagined heaven must feel like.

When she woke in the morning James was gone, but the pillow he had used smelled like him and so did his t-shirt that she had slept in.

She vowed to start stealing his shirts to sleep in from that day forward.

Annabelle was excited to start the day and find out how their new found feelings for each other felt in the daylight.


	20. A Walk With Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle and Vision take Brutus for a walk.

****

In much better spirits than she had been in some time Annabelle showered, dressed and went in search of Bucky.

She was rather surprised not to find him in their common area, but remembered he usually went to the gym with Steve first thing in the morning. She was a little disappointed hoping they might spend the entire day together but they had just done that they day before so it wasn’t fair to keep him from his regular schedule and certainly not from Steve.

And it didn’t matter anyway. She was no simpering girl dependent on anyone else for her daily routine. It was too perfect of a day to be kept in side. Grabbing Brutus’ leash Annabelle decided to take him for a walk. As much as she wanted to go outside of the Tower, the last incident made her wary.

“Come on boy.” She called, laughing when the huge puppy knocked two couch cushions off in his haste to get to her. “Let’s go find some mischief, what do you say?”

On their way down to the gardens Annabelle ran in to Vision. She had not exactly been avoiding Vision, but neither had she gone out of her way to see him.

“Good morning Miss Stark.” Visions calm presence was familiar. Reassuring.

“Good morning Vision.”Annabelle knew that the loss of JARVIS and the mess with Ultron had not been Vision’s fault. He had not even been online then. “Would you like to walk with us to the gardens?”

Vision nodded and extended his arm. “I would be delighted to escort you to the gardens Miss Stark.”

“Annabelle, please.” Annabelle took his arm.

Vision patted her hand “Annabelle it is then. If you do not mind my saying so, the gardens seem a very confined space for a canine of this size.”

Annabelle shrugged sadly. “The last time I took him for a walk it did not go very well. I don’t like feeling as if I am a prisoner in my own home, but I don’t want to be used as a weapon against the people I care about either.”

“That is a difficulty.” Vision agreed. “But if I may offer an alternative?”

“I am happy to listen to any suggestions you have Vision.” Annabelle smiled up at him.

Vision was struck by how absolutely normally she was treating him. He realized that she treated him the way other humans treated each other. And she treated other humans the way humans treated him or any other alien they did not understand. He could still access some of the memory banks from the JARVIS program, perhaps he would analyze these.

“Vision?” Annabelle tilted her head. “You had a suggestion?”

“My apologies,” Vision contemplated her. “I was considering a puzzle. But my suggestion… allow me to accompany you on your walk. I can see to your safety and you will not feel as if you are trapped inside.”

“I would love to have you along on our walks.” Annabelle enthused. “I…”

Vision looked down at Annabelle when she paused. “You…?”

Annabelle blushed. “I know I should try to make better human friends.” She whispered. “But I never thought I would have to. A.I.s… they aren’t supposed to die.”

Vision looked down at Annabelle. “I am something familiar then? Comfortable?”

Annabelle nodded in agreement. “I thought it was about emotions, but I can tell you have emotions as well. It has to be something else. Maybe something in the way an A.I. processes emotions?”

Vision patted her hand. “I am not exactly an A.I. I do not know precisely what I am.” By this time they had reached the lift and were on their way to the ground floor. “I am not what they intended to create, I know that for certain. And I have this stone.” Vision touched the yellow stone in his forehead. “I don’t understand it, I know it is powerful. I wish to understand it. Perhaps we should approach the problem from that angle.”

Annabelle was confused. “What problem? Which angle?”

“My problem of what I am and how that relates to those around me and your problem of how you relate to humans around you.” Vision explained.

“I am already better with how I relate to one human.” Annabelle smiled.

“Ah yes, Sergeant Barnes.” Vision held the door open for Annabelle and Brutus to exit the building. “May I ask how your social engagement last evening went?”

“You may. It went really well.” Annabelle looked sideways at Vision. “But.. can you hold a confidence?”

“I can indeed.” Vision assured her.

“I did not exactly go out with Sergeant Barnes last night.” Annabelle confessed. “I actually went out with the Winter Soldier.”

“That was… an unusual choice.” Vision paused. “It was my understanding that both Tony and Sergeant Barnes forbid you to summon him.”

“They did.” Annabelle admitted. “But they also want me to integrate the two personalities fully, and I can’t do that unless I interact with both.”

“Tony and Captain Rogers believe there is an alternate theory.” Vision told her.

“That I am reckless?” Annabelle huffed “But I am not I know that…”

“They believe you have romantic feelings for Sergeant Barnes.” Vision interrupted. “And that you do not see the difference in the two personalities except that one acts more aggressive and less emotional. They believe that it is this trait that attracts you physically.”

Annabelle blushed fiercely. “My BROTHER commented on what traits I find physically desirable?”

Vision smiled gently at Annabelle’s discomfort.”No, that would have been Captain Rogers. Tony told him to cease his observations. But he did not disagree with them.”

Annabelle wasn’t sure that was any better. “I do know there is a difference. I just don’t… I mean they are both him, you know? The only real difference is what happens when the brainwashing is triggered to force him to act against his nature.”

“And that nature would be?” Prompted Vision.

“He is a defender. A protector.” Annabelle explained. “Look at what triggers him, outside of HYDRA’s words. When I am in danger. That is his true nature.”

Vision contemplated her for a long time. “You have a very kind way of looking at the world.”

The rest of their walk was spent discussing her travels, the things that he had seen and done since he had been created and his failures in cooking.

When they returned Annabelle and Vision made plans to walk Brutus once a day unless there were other pressing matters.

Annabelle took Brutus upstairs thinking over her conversation with Vision. She couldn’t deny that there was something incredibly appealing about James when he went all Winter Soldier. There was a sense of security and safety there. Something most would have found ridiculous. Absolutely absurd. But even with HYDRA’s control words triggered, he had not just thought of his own escape. He was thinking of hers as well.

True, he was on top of a roof in a helicopter getting ready to fly off, but Annabelle knew he would have been back. What was it he had said? “But most men, good or bad, have limits to what they would do, even for someone they love.”

For someone they love. That was the part Annabelle was holding on to. Oh she knew he didn’t remember everything that happened as the Winter Soldier… but maybe that was only the bad things. This was a good thing. There was hope he would remember all of it. He would certainly remember some of it.

He would remember that he loved her.

And he did love her. He had said as much. And now Annabelle planned to hunt him down and make him say it again. It would be OK if she had to tell him first. Now that she was certain of his feelings there was no risk.

With a happy plan in mind Annabelle took a quick shower, left her hair in the long curls she knew Bucky loved and went to find him.

Hearing voices down the hallway Annabelle went in that direction. She was a little disappointed that he was not alone, but happy that he was settling in.

Annabelle recognized Steve, Clint and Sam. Coming around the corner she could see the three of them lounging with beers. None of them noticed she had entered the common room. Just as she was about to speak up Sam’s next comment stopped her.

“You never said how your date with Dr. Perelli went this afternoon.” Annabelle could hear Sam asking. Who had a date with that handsy doctor?

“I wouldn’t call it a date.” Bucky said gruffly.

Bucky had gone out with the doctor? What? Why?

“She sure got dressed up like it was a date.” There was a hint of amusement in Clint’s voice.

“It was lunch. She had questions about my past medical examinations.” Lunch? He had gone to lunch with the woman? In public? Annabelle’s insides turned in to a knot.

“Wait.” Steve finally chimed in. “Didn’t you go out to dinner with Annabelle last night?”

“Yes.” How dare he sound so nonchalant? “Annabelle and I have dinner regularly.”

As if… that was it. Nothing else. He didn’t even remember. Annabelle knew she couldn’t fault him. How many times had he told her there would never, could never, be anything between them? It was just sex. And sex that he couldn’t even remember.

“And does Annabelle know you are “just having lunch” with this doctor?” Steve prodded.

“I have not seen her today.” Bucky told Steve. “FRIDAY said she went out with Vision and Brutus. I instructed FRIDAY to let me know when Annabelle returned. I will let her know then. Annabelle and I are friends. She won’t have an issue with it.”

“I don’t know about that Buck…” Steve sounded worried.

“Begging your pardon Sergeant Barnes, but you left no instructions to let you know when Miss Stark returned.” FRIDAY interrupted.

“Alright, I am leaving them now. Let me know when she returns.” Bucky started to stand up to grab another beer.

“Yes, Sergeant.” FRIDAY almost sounded smug. “Miss Stark has returned and entered the common room 6.05 minutes ago.

Bucky stood up and looked in to Annabelle’s eyes. He knew the conversation she had just heard had hurt her. But they had not discussed whether or not they would be telling anyone. And the doctor wasn’t his fault. She had trapped him by asking for a ride. What was he supposed to do?

She hadn’t started interrogating him and suggesting lunch until they were out of the garage.

The other three men looked at Annabelle concerned.

“Anna… hey kid.” Clint started carefully. “Had no idea you were there.”

“Oh, please, gentlemen, go on with your conversation.” Annabelle waved her hand too cheerfully. “I was just waiting for a lull in the conversation to say good bye.”

“You going somewhere, Anna?” Steve asked carefully.

Bucky just watched her waiting for some kind of reaction. An explosion… something.

“Just for the afternoon.” Annabelle pointed at her clothes. “A very dear friend is in town for such a short time and we haven’t had time to catch up.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed.

Annabelle picked up her phone and dialed. In perfect Russian while watching Bucky’s face she practically purred in to the phone. “Andres, I know it is short notice, but I have some free time if you would like to catch up over drinks? Of course, which hotel are you staying at? I will be there in an hour.”

Sam looked at Annabelle. “So… Andres… he sounds… new. And ummm… Russian?”

“Andres is a dear friend.” Annabelle smiled. “And good ear. Yes, he is a Russian art dealer.”

Steve started. “Russian art… Annabelle… I really don’t think that is a good idea.”

Annabelle smiled slowly. “Then add that to the long list of bad ideas I have had lately. Good afternoon gentlemen.”

After Annabelle had left the floor Sam turned to Bucky. “You may want to revisit whether or not Annabelle has an issue with your non-date. Because that kind of seemed like she might. And I never knew that Annabelle was in to the art types. I kind of thought her type was…” He waved this hand towards Bucky who had not moved and was glaring at the closed elevator doors.

“He isn’t really an art dealer.” Steve looked worried.

“Well, what is he?” Sam was confused.

“He is Russian KGB.” Clint supplied.

“Oh well… yeah…” Sam muttered. “THAT is Annabelle’s type alright."


	21. God of Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Loki met Annabelle

Relaxing with everyone in the Avenger’s common room was a rare luxury. Usually someone was gone. Right now everyone except for Thor was in the common room.

Natasha and Bruce were in a corner quietly chatting. Annabelle had never seen either of them look so relaxed and happy. She was pleased for her friends. Wanda was once again explaining boundaries to Vision who was having trouble grasping why it made a difference if the door was open why he couldn’t phase through the wall next to it.

Annabelle was still pointedly ignoring Steve and Bucky. Sam took the opportunity to shamelessly flirty with her earning him several dark glares.

After a lovely afternoon spent chatting with Andres over his latest art exhibits, his cover really was perfect and he did know so much about art, Annabelle’s bruised ego soothed. Andres had been charming and flattering. Annabelle slid into a stool at the bar where Tony was happily mixing drinks.

“Make me a martini please.” Annabelle called over to her brother. “You are the only one who makes it exactly the way I like it.”

“Of course I do.” Tony smirked. “Everyone else in your life is a peasant.”

This sparked a debate about the correct way to make martini.

“OK,” Annabelle finally slapped a hand on the bar. “People who make martinis with vodka should not be allowed to drink martinis. That is a sin against nature.”

“I thought you said making them with only dry vermouth was a sin against nature.” Clint teased.

“It is.” Annabelle affirmed. “They have to be perfect. Half sweet, half dry. Dirty them up with two olives. EXACTLY the way Tony makes them. And stirred. STIRRED. Otherwise you bruise the gin. Thank you brother dear.”

“What about appletinis?” Wanda asked.

“You should be in prison.” Annabelle shuddered. “You are a monster.”

Everyone laughed.

Popping an olive in her mouth Annabelle happened to glance out at the balcony and noticed a flash of green.

Hopping up with a happy gasp she ran outside. Turing quickly Annabelle locked the door. She knew it wouldn’t keep anyone inside for long but she didn’t need long.

“What was that about?” Steve stood up.

“Oh no. Hell no.” Tony stormed towards the door.

Outside Annabelle made a low curtsy. “Your Majesty.”

“Actually,” Loki flashed his most charming smile. “It is Your Highness. I am once again a mere prince.”

“Are you forever going to correct me on that point?” Annabelle teased.

“It would appear I am yes.” Loki took Annabelle’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “And how is my favorite Stark?”

Annabelle giggled and captured Loki’s hand. “Quite well. Better now for seeing you.”

“You flatter me.” Loki winked causing Annabelle to blush. “Would you care to join me for dinner?”

“I would be delighted.” Annabelle agreed.

“Absolutely not, Rock of Ages.” Tony stormed on to the balcony with the rest of the Avengers. “Get your slimy hands off of my sister.”

Loki kept Annabelle’s hand just to annoy Tony further and smiled. “It would seem your charming sister has already accepted my invitation.”

“What sort of spell have you put on my sister Reindeer Games?” Tony suited up.

“Stop it right now!” Annabelle shouted. “I told you, Loki is my FRIEND. We are having dinner as friends. Apparently that is the only sort of dinner I have with men.”

“That, love, sounds like a story waiting to be told.” Loki drew her arm through his. “Shall we?”

“By all means, Your Highness.” Annabelle laid her hand over his.

“But first, this won’t do.” Waving his hand Loki transformed her simple jeans and sweater into a lovely green gown with matching heels and jewels. “I must say, you look fetching in my colors.”

“You are a dreadful flirt Loki of Asgard.” Annabelle giggled.

He leaned down and whispered sotto voce “I have been accused of worse.”

Annabelle laughed. “You have been guilty of worse, I am sure.” And with that the two disappeared.

“Where the hell did they go?!” Tony shouted. “Get a bead on her Manchurian Candidate!”

“How the hell does she even know Loki well enough to go anywhere with him?” Bruce asked no one in particular.

“I believe I can shed some light on that.” Vision offered, hesitating. “And I also believe I know where they went.”

“What? How?” Tony demanded. “Did she tell you something? Was she expecting him.”

The others were shouting similar questions. Except for Bucky. He was looking murderous.

“No.” Vision replied calmly in the face the chaos that had erupted around him. “She did not mention him, and I do not believe his arrival was anticipated. However, they did have a discussion about going out the next time he paid a visit.”

“And when exactly would he have met Annabelle to have this discussion?” Tony gritted his teeth.

“It was the day Phil Coulson died.” Vision began, only to be interrupted by Tony.

“You mean the day that monster killed him.” Tony shouted.

“Annabelle appears to feel differently.” Vision continued. “I do not have access to the memories of JARVIS as if they were my own, but I can access them and play the images on a screen.”

“Do it.” Tony gathered everyone around a large screen. “FRIDAY give him access, I want to know what this madman wants with Annabelle.”

The image on the television show Tony and Steve just after Phil Coulson’s death. Tony has taken it hard. Steve is used to compartmentalizing and getting the job done.

Tony is staring at blood stained wall. "He made it personal."

Steve looks away "That's not the point.”

Tony twists his head a bit thinking. “That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?”

Steve considers this. “To tear us apart.”

Tony frowns. “He had to conquer us, great, he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience.”

Steve folds his arms across his chest. “Right, I caught his act at Stuttengard.”

Tony starts pacing and waving his arms, “Yeah. That's just a preview, this is opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered...”

Steve and Tony look at each other in horror

“Sonofabitch!” Tony shouts.

Both of them say at the same time. “Annabelle.”

Back at Stark Tower Annabelle is napping on the couch in the common room when JARVIS wakes her up. “Annabelle you need to go to the safero…” And then he is cut off.

“JARVIS?” Annabelle calls, and gets no answer.

“I have shut down your electronic servant.” Annabelle turns and sees a man standing in the room with her. Out on the roof is Dr. Selvig.

“Your accent seems familiar…” Is Annabelle’s only response. “Asgardian?”

Loki is momentarily caught off guard. “Yes. I am Loki of Asgard.”

Annabelle drops in to a low curtsy just like JARVIS taught her. “Welcome to my home Your Highness. I am Annabelle Stark. May I offer you refreshments? I doubt they will be what you are used to in Asgard but…”

Once again Loki is caught off guard by this Midgardian’s attitude. “Do you not understand your peril mortal?”

“Am I in peril then, Your Highness?” Annabelle looks up at Loki sweetly.

“I am a king. It is Your Majesty. Your Highness is for a prince.” Is all Loki replies.

“I beg your indulgence Your Majesty. I am not used to entertaining people, let alone royalty. A martini?” Annabelle moves behind the bar.

“You are forgiv… a what?” Everything about this woman keeps throwing him off. Those watching his interaction with Annabelle almost smile. They have all known that feeling.

“Martini.” Annabelle starts assembling the drink. “Now, my skill with them is not like my brother’s. There is a new jazz restaurant in the city with a bar that makes an amazing martini, or so the rumor goes. I have never been. But it is a sin for a man of your caliber not to be able to enjoy a martini.”

“I am no man.” Loki sneers. “I am a god.”

“What a terrible burden.” Annabelle dropped two olives in to Loki’s glass and slid it to him on a coaster. “Is it very draining being a god?”

“What is your game, mortal?” Loki was looking at Annabelle suspiciously but he did take a sip of the martini. He must have liked it because he drained it in one gulp and handed the glass back.

Annabelle set about making him a refill. This one she handed directly to him her fingers making contact with his. “No game, surely you have realized my brother and his friends will be on their way and you must fight them. But you and I? We have no quarrel.”

“I have killed dozens of your fellow Midgardians.” Loki frowned. “Is that not quarrel enough? Are you so weak then?”

Annabelle shrugged delicately. “Perhaps. But then again, perhaps it was not truly you. Do you wish to face my brother, and yours presumably, with your mind intact?”

Loki started. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“It is a simple question, Loki of Asgard.” Annabelle held out both of her hands palms up. “If you are convinced that all of this is your doing and there is no undue influence, then nothing I do will matter. If you are not convinced… then I can get that thing out and you can choose. That is what I offer you. Choice.”

Loki looked at her hands for a long time. “You would not be powerful enough, Annabelle Stark.”

Annabelle held her hands out closer to Loki. “Then there is no danger either way, Loki.”

“There could well be danger to you.” Loki reached tentatively for her. “Is that not enough for you?”

“You have not harmed me yet.” Annabelle placed her hands in the god’s and closed her eyes. Everyone watching could see some blue aura pulse around Loki for a few moments before dissipating. Loki opened his eyes long before Annabelle did and they could all see him watching her with something akin to awe and another emotion that made Bucky finger his weapon.

When Annabelle opened her eyes she found Loki smiling down at her. “Better?”

“Infinitely, mi’lady.” Loki kissed the backs of her knuckles. “Were I not already otherwise engaged I would make you my queen for that alone.”

Annabelle laughed a sound that clearly startled Loki with its pure joy. “Oh go on now, you charmer. As if I need that sort of pressure. I am already a Stark. That position comes with a built in megalomaniac.”

“And then there is the small matter that we are in the middle of a war.” Loki sighed.

“And sadly on opposite sides. Oh!” Annabelle hopped up. “Do be a love and turn JARVIS back on, would you? I am quite certain he wanted me to get to the safe room before all of you do battle in my living room.”

“Oh, yes, certainly.” Loki crossed his arms and snapped his fingers for dramatic effect.

“…om. Tony says you are expecting unpleasant… he is here… are you well Annabelle?” JARVIS finished.

“Indeed I am JARVIS, I was just heading down.” Annabelle took Loki’s hands. “Good day Loki.”

“Wait…” They could all see how reluctant he was to let her go. “Why haven’t you been to that jazz restaurant?”

“Tony is too busy to go with me and…” Annabelle sighed. “I am not the sort of girl one takes out. I am the sort one hides away so others feel safe from them.”

“I know that feeling.” Loki murmured. “When I return I will take you to that jazz restaurant.”

“Survive the war first, Loki of Asgard.” Annabelle smiled. “Then make dates.”


	22. Dinner with Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki explains the reason for his visit

Everyone sat in silence for a moment.

“Well, that explains a few things.” Tony finally spoke up.

“Not to me.” Bucky frowned. “Someone want to fill me in?”

“Loki attempted to take over the world. He had mind controlled Clint.” Steve explained. And a man named Dr. Selvig. He brought in a full alien army. And then… he stopped. He turned over the Tesseract. Explained that an extra dimensional being he knew only as The Other had been controlling him through it and was controlling Clint and Dr. Selvig as well. That he was now in control of his own mind and he helped us beat back the Chitauri.”

“From what Thor told us later if he had not he likely would have been locked up when there was an attack on Asgard.” Bruce added. “It is unlikely his mother or Jane Foster would have survived that attack. As is he showed up just in time to save them both.”

“Could he have realized he was losing and simply gave up?” Bucky frowned tapping his ear piece.

“Unlikely.” Natasha spoke up. “He wasn’t losing, we were barely holding our own. If they had brought more reinforcements…”

“I had a plan to threaten him in to surrender you know.” Tony pouted. “And why aren’t you more concerned with where Annabelle is, Manchurian Candidate?”

“I know where she is.” Bucky frowned up at him. “And I am listening to their conversation. They are discussing jazz.”

“Annabelle really isn’t going to like that you are doing that.” Natasha censured.

“Her preferences are less important than her safety.” Bucky looked up. “Is there anything else pertinent?”

Everyone looked at each other. “umm no…?” Steve was a little uncertain how to answer.

Bucky strode towards the door. “Good.”

“Going to spy on her date?” Tony asked. When Bucky glared at him, Tony threw his hands in the air. “Hey I approve! Spy away!”

“Annabelle is NOT on a date.” Bucky snapped.

“Sure sounded like she was setting up a date to me.” Clint frowned.

“I do believe her exact phrase did indeed include the word “date”.” Vision supplied.

Bucky slammed the door without reply.

“Let me see if I remember the proper way to do this.” Loki smiled across the table at Annabelle. Summoning the waiter he said. “We will have two martini’s, gin, not vodka, it needs to be perfect with two olives and make it dirty. And stirred not shaken because we are not peasants.”

Annabelle put her hand over her mouth and giggled as the waiter nodded. “Very good sir.”

“And bring us a bottle of sparkling wine. Something sweet and a little sassy, to match my dinner companion.” Loki winked at her.

While they sipped their cocktails and enjoyed their wine and appetizers Loki was happy to listen to Annabelle chatter on about the music.

“Of all the music JARVIS introduced me to I always loved jazz the best.” She sighed. “JARVIS would light up tiles on the floor to teach me the steps to dances.”

Loki reached out to take Annabelle’s hand. “It sounds as if you had a very lonely childhood.”

“Oh no… I always had…” Seeing Loki’s look of acceptance and understanding Annabelle nodded. “Yes, but what was to be done? People were afraid of me, Loki. What I could do felt like magic to them. I knew things I shouldn’t know and as I child I didn’t know not to say them out loud.”

Loki leaned forward. “Let me tell you a secret, the best people don’t know how to be well behaved.”

Annabelle gasped and then laughed, reaching out and taking Loki’s hand. “You make me feel… normal. Thank you.”

Loki sat back with a grin. “You make me feel normal as well, Annabelle Stark.”

Bucky had entered in quietly from the back after bribing the kitchen staff. He took a seat in a far dark corner, one where he could keep an eye on the pair.

He was not happy with the casual and easy way the other man kept touching Annabelle.

And he was not happy with how comfortable she was. Bucky had never seen her touch anyone this much. Except for himself, he thought smugly.

Remembering what that had led to his mood darkened once again.

“But here I have been monopolizing the conversation.” Annabelle took both of his hands in hers. “Tell me everything you have been up to.”

“Well, since we last spoke, your large green friend used me as a throw rag.” Loki cringed. “That was unpleasant.”

“You had it coming, who yells at the Hulk?” Annabelle shook her head.

“Alright, fair point.” Loki drank his wine. “But, since you freed my mind I was able to free the archer and the doctor.”

“You were free to choose.” Annabelle pointed out.

“Indeed.” Loki agreed. “I am rather surprised you possessed the strength to throw him off. Not only is he alien, but he is very powerful.”

“I am not sure I could have if he had not believed I was too insignificant to be a threat.” Annabelle smiled. “I certainly don’t look like much of one.”

Loki raised his glass. “I misjudged you.”

“You were under duress.” Annabelle patted his hand.

Loki nodded. “Indeed, and soon we will all be under duress.”

Annabelle frowned. “What do you mean.”

“There is a war coming.” Loki looked off. “The one who sent me here with the Tesseract, Thanos is his name, he won’t give up. He will be back. There are items he is looking for. They are called the Infinity Stones.”

Annabelle leaned forward. “What do you need me to do.”

Loki smiled “And to think I once asked if you were weak. I need you take a message back to your Avengers and my brother. He will no doubt be there by the time we finish here. First, you need to know about the Infinity Stones. Infinity Stones are really powerful gems that, when united, can be used to destroy people, planets, solar systems, you name it. It is said that six singularities existed before the creation of the Universe. The Big Bang transformed those entities into six separate Infinity Stones. These Infinity Stones are the Space Stone, the Reality Stone, the Power Stone, the Mind Stone, the Time Stone and the Soul Stone.”

Annabelle waved off their waiter. “So they control the entire Universe?”

“I don’t know about that,” Loki confessed. “But they are certainly incredibly powerful. And the stakes for allowing Thanos to get his hands on them are too high.”

“Why?” Annabelle asked. “What does he want?”

“He wants to annihilate half of the life in all of the Universe.” Loki rubbed his face. “I fell through the void. And as I fell I saw many different Universes. And I have seen universe after universe where he has succeeded. Universes where you do not exist and your brother is quick to sacrifice himself. Universes where you were not there and the Avenger’s were divided by an internal struggle and so were not prepared to battle him. You offered me a chance. A choice. Using that choice I was able to save my mother and a woman who has become very important to me. In this Universe you were the key, in other universes there were others. In still more there was no key. He simply succeeded.”

Annabelle shuddered. The thought of Tony sacrificing himself. The Avengers fractured. Half the life in the whole Universe gone. It was all too much.

“But why?” She whispered. “Why would he do this?”

Loki rubbed her wrist. “Oh my sweet innocent girl. Of course you cannot imagine this. Some say Thanos fell in love with Death, or her physical embodiment and collects the Infinity Stones to destroy universes and impress her with the amount of death he can cause. Some say he thinks the Universe is overcrowded and he is seeking to restore some sort of balance. We call him the Mad Titan for a reason. He is evil. That is enough.”

“And how do we stop him from getting these stones?” Annabelle searched Loki’s face. “Do we even know where they are? Who has them?”

Loki chuckled. “Slow down, slow down. First the only way to stop him from getting one is to destroy it. Utterly. If you don’t take out the Time Stone he may be able to go back and undo what you have done, but destroying any of them will hold him at bay.”

“But where would we find them?” Annabelle called over the waiter, this was shaking up to be a two martini and half a bottle of sparkling wine sort of night. “I mean stones… that pretty much means they could be anything right? Anywhere? That is a pretty tall order.”

Neither one seemed to have noticed Bucky who was taking note of everything that was being said. Or if either had neither had commented on it. He was relaxing now that the topic had turned away from how Loki made Annabelle feel.

“You and your Avenger’s have already seen two of them.” Loki tented his fingers. And I know where another is.”

“Two?” Annabelle was confused I don’t understand… wouldn’t we have known?”

“One was in the scepter I used. It is the Mind Stone. It now resides in the forehead of your electronic servant. Or what is left of him.” Annabelle winced at the reminder. “The other is the Tesseract. It is known as the Space Stone.”

“And the one you know?” Annabelle asked.

Loki considered for a moment. “I will hold that information for now. But the other three, I know what they are, if not where. Again, I suggest focusing efforts on the Time Stone. It must be removed from play in such a way that it cannot be retrieved in time.”

“How are we supposed to do that, Loki?” Annabelle fretted. “This is madness.”

“Thanos is counting on it being too difficult a task.” Loki stood and held out his hand. “But I have faith in you. Now, before we leave here, I insist you dance with me.”

Annabelle laughed and allowed Loki to lead her to the dance floor.


	23. Fate and Redemption

****

Bucky watched Annabelle dancing with Loki only dimly aware that he had crushed part of the table in his metal hand. It was bad enough that they had been far too close at the table, but this was a whole other level.

Bucky hated every part of Annabelle being here with this guy who called himself a god. Not the least of which was the idea that Annabelle was wearing a dress, shoes and jewelry the bastard had supplied.

Bucky couldn’t help but wonder exactly how complete this outfit was exactly. And with that thought more of the table crumbled away.

He watched as Loki wrapped his arms around Annabelle and led her gracefully around the small dance floor. The smile on her face lit up the room.

Bucky had not known Annabelle could dance. He supposed he should not have really been surprised. As lonely as her childhood seemed to him, the A/I/ JARVIS it seemed had taken very good care of her entire education. Including every social grace she would need.

Clearly dance lessons had been on her lesson plan. Or maybe Tony had danced with her.

Had Bucky known she enjoyed dancing he would have taken her himself. Maybe. It was hard to say when for all he knew he would have panicked at the thought of being in such close quarters with others.

But Annabelle had the ability to drag him from his comfort zone and get him out in to public situations he never thought he would be comfortable with.

But Bucky knew for damned sure he didn’t like Loki’s hands all over her.

In a purely objective way he would have said nothing inappropriate was going on. They left enough room for modesty. Loki’s hands did not stray anywhere that would have required their immediate removal.

Bucky was in no mood to be purely objective.

Just as Bucky was ready to give up and admit he was jealous and pull Annabelle off of the dance floor, he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye.

Someone else was watching Loki and Annabelle. Bucky felt his stomach clench when he realized who it was. Zemo. And he had been so focused on Loki and Annabelle he had not noticed the madman was there.

This was it. The test. The last time Bucky had come in to direct and personal one on one contact with Zemo the bastard had used HYDRA’s trigger words on him. Would they work again?

Bucky didn’t think the words would work any longer. They certainly hadn’t for anyone else. But there was only one way to tell.

Zemo left the restaurant and Bucky followed right behind him.

Loki twirled Annabelle one last time and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Your bodyguard has left the building.”

Annabelle furrowed her brow in confusion. “Bodyguard?”

“Yes. “ Loki grinned. “The one with the metal arm. I dare say he was not pleased with our dance.”

“James?” Annabelle looked around the room. “James is here? Why didn’t I see him? Sense him?”

“Was here.” Loki corrected. “And it did not suit my purposes for you to notice him.”

“Loki…” Annabelle sighed in annoyance. “Were you trying to upset James on purpose?”

Loki smirked. “Let’s just say I am happy to give him a gentle nudge on your behalf.”

“Why do you think he needs a gentle…” Annabelle stopped when she looked in to Loki’s knowing eyes. “Alright things have been a little… I don’t know… it isn’t like he ever misled me. He said from the beginning that we would only ever be friends. Nothing more.”

Loki looked down at Annabelle compassionately. “And then did he act as though you were merely friends? The look on his face tonight as we danced was not the look of a ‘friend’ it was the look of a man who would happily see me disemboweled.”

“Well… when he is being just Bucky? Yes, he acts as just a friend. When he is harnessing The Winter Soldier… no. Or… I don’t know… no. He acts like maybe there is more.” Annabelle blushed. “But then he doesn’t remember, so it didn’t mean anything. And then as Bucky he went on a date with another woman and so I guess we really are just friends.”

“It certainly sounds complicated.” Loki patted Annabelle’s shoulder. “But you are determined and smart. You are brave and strong. Whatever is happening with him, you can handle it.”

“You are really very good for my ego, Loki.” Annabelle beamed up at him.

“No more so than you have been for mine.” Loki assured her. “Now go find your young man.”

Loki watched Annabelle leave the restaurant with a smile. He truly had little use for the rest of the Avengers, and that certainly included his broth on most days, but Annabelle Stark was different. The audacious little mortal had the nerve on more than one occasion to call him her friend. That alone was worth the God of Mischief’s attention.

Transporting himself back to the side of the woman he loved Loki took her in his arms and kissed her forehead.

“Do you trust the Avengers to find and destroy the Infinity Stones?” Jane Foster asked Loki worriedly, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Not really.” Loki confessed. “But I trust Annabelle Stark. She is stronger than you would expect. We will not risk the Aether without exhausting all other options, my love.”

When Bucky stepped outside to track Zemo it took him a few minutes to find the man. He finally found him standing in the shadows behind the building.

Zemo stepped from the shadows. “We meet again, Soldier.”

“What do you want here, Zemo? You had to know if you showed up here I would kill you.” Bucky advanced on the smaller man with purpose.

“We both know that as long as I possess the trigger words you cannot do that.” Zemo’s voice was calm. Almost gentle, understanding. “I have come to offer you a choice. One you have not been offered before.”

Bucky didn’t much care what this choice was, but he did want to know whether there may be accomplices nearby. “What choice? And why would I want anything from you?”

"You can join me.” Zemo offered spreading his hands. “And be a part of something far greater than you have ever experienced before... or defy me and be ground beneath the crushing power of inevitability. Choose, or have your fate chosen for you."

Bucky laughed. “I am not seeking any greater fate than redemption.”

Zemo, mad with grief and his own burning need for revenge glared at Bucky. “Redemption?! You?! What have you ever done...to earn redemption...?"

Annabelle had gone in search of Bucky and when she did not see him out front assumed he must have parked his motorcycle outback.

As Annabelle traversed the path alongside the building she could hear voices. One she recognized as Bucky. The other was familiar, accented, but she could not quite place it.

Rounding the building she was just in time to hear someone demand of Bucky an answer to what he had ever done to earn redemption. That was when she recognized him. Zemo.

Quickly pulling out her phone Annabelle sent a text simply with the letters S.O.S. to Tony and made sure her GPS was on. Sitting her phone down so it was out of the way and could not be damaged to the point it could not be tracked Annabelle stepped in to the light.

“Nothing James did was his doing, Mr. Zemo. Your quarrel is not with him.” Annabelle’s calm tone showed nothing of her terror. She knew she was no fighter. “It was my family that built Ultron. My family who built the bombs that destroyed Sokovia. If you must take your vengeance upon someone, take it out on me and let your vengeance be satisfied.”

“Annabelle, no, go back!” Bucky ordered.

“Miss Stark.” Zemo’s smile did not touch his eyes. “Please, join us. Your impassioned plea is... touching. I know that you are an innocent. And were another way to have presented itself I would have taken it. But I intend to topple the Avenger’s empire. And that requires sacrifices. Unfortunately, you will be one of those.”

Bucky pulled his weapon as Zemo began reciting the trigger words. “ _Longing, Rusted, Furnace, Daybreak. Seventeen, Benign, Nine, Homecoming, One, Freight Car.”_

Bucky had paused waiting after the first couple to see if there would be anything. He knew he could draw his weapon and fire before Zemo could finish, but there was nothing.

He needed to catch Zemo off guard, and knew just how to do that. But he had to get close to Annabelle. He could not risk Zemo over hearing them. “Gotovy podchinit'sya.” He responded, straightening up.

“Kill Annabelle Stark. Do not make her suffer unduly.” Zemo ordered. “Make it quick.”

Annabelle was nervous when The Soldier turned to face her. He had never harmed her before. She was almost certain he would not harm her now. But why was he advancing on her? She could not see his eyes as the light was behind him.

“James?” She called uncertainly.

When he did not respond, Annabelle prepared to use her own trigger words to wrest control back. At just that moment he reached her.

Bucky reached down and put both hands on her shoulders. “Call the Winter Soldier, quietly..” He told her calmly. “Then get behind me and stay there.”

Annabelle almost sobbed with relief. It had been a ruse. He had never been under Zemo’s control.

“Hey there Soldier.” Annabelle whispered.

This time the change was obvious. The Soldier pushed Annabelle behind him with a gruff order. “Stay there and get down.”

Annabelle did as she was told. There was no real cover but she could make herself as small a target as possible.

Zemo realized that he had no control over the Winter Soldier when every command he shouted fell on deaf ears.

There was nowhere for him to run as the Winter Soldier advanced on him.

Certain there would be violence and a lot of blood Annabelle covered her eyes and ears and stayed that way until she felt two hands lift her up.

Looking in to the face of her brother Annabelle was never so happy to see him in her life.

“Tony!” She shouted. “James is after Zemo! And…”

Tony shook his head. “It is all over kiddo. He had him subdued just before we got here.”

Annabelle was confused. “Subdued? Not… he didn’t kill him?”

“No, Lady Annabelle.” A booming voice called out. “Great restraint if I do say so. Valhalla would have been ringing with the sounds of his wails had it been up to me.”

“THOR!!” Annabelle called out happily. “You just missed Loki! He came and took me to dinner and dancing and we had a talk about…” Annabelle was interrupted as she was thrown over a shoulder.

There was only so much a man could be expected to take in one night. A god shows up and takes his woman out. A madman tries to have him assassinate her. And then the brother of that same god shows up and Annabelle is happy to see this one too?

The Soldier was done. He had reached his limit. Stalking to his motorcycle he attempted to settle Annabelle in front of him. When her dress was to tight to allow for that he reached down and tore a slit in the side.

“Damned it!” Annabelle cried. “That dress was new, James. You have got to stop tearing up my wardrobe!”

Ignoring her outburst in favor of the light glinting off of the emeralds on her neck those were the next item to meet an unfortunate fate. The thin chain was snapped and they were thrown into the bushes.

“Hey!” Tony called out before the Soldier could ride off with Annabelle.

The interruption was met with an annoyed glare.

“Helmet.” Tony reminded him.”

The Soldier grabbed the smaller of the two helmets and strapped it onto Annabelle before kicking the motorcycle over into a roar and taking off.

“I am surprised at how calmly you are taking Buck riding off with Annabelle.” Steve looked at Tony speculatively.

“Ok, I think we both know that wasn’t Bucky.” Tony turned his attention from the retreating tail lights to Steve. “And Annabelle just left the tower with a madman who tried to take over the world and was tailed by a fanatic assassin. Two if you count Barnes. No offense Thor. If he can stop that from happening again I hope he puts her over his knee and paddles her.”

“None taken.” Thor smirked. “But that was quite the visual.”

“And now I need to drink until I stop thinking about that.” Tony looked a little green.

The rest of the Avengers laughed.


	24. Reminding Annabelle Who She Belongs To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explicit chapter. You can skip this chapter without sacrificing story line.

Once back at the Tower, Bucky picked Annabelle back up and did not stop until they were in his bedroom. Setting her on her feet, Bucky slowly started removing all of his weapons never taking his eyes off of Annabelle the entire time. The predatory look in his eye made Annabelle nervous and flushed at the same time.

When he was finished Bucky advanced in Annabelle. “Two dates Annabelle. You have now been out with two different men.”

Annabelle watched as Bucky advanced on her, backing her in to her bedroom wall. She tried to press herself through the wall to escape his angry glare. “James, be reasonable about this,” Annabelle tried reasoning with Bucky, her palms flat on the wall behind her eyes wide. "It was just dinner with a friend... and you went out with…"

Bucky was in no mood to be reasonable. Grabbing a fistful of Annabelle's hair he twisted her neck to the side and attacked her pulse point with his lips and teeth. “Strip.” He growled in her ear. "Now."

Annabelle closed her eyes, thoughts racing. On the one hand she did not appreciate his high handed attitude. On the other... this was incredibly hot. She hesitated.

“I gave you a chance, draga.” Bucky snarled, reaching up and tearing the dress in half. It shredded like wet tissue paper under his hands.

"James that dress was new!" Annabelle complained as the cool air hit her bare skin. “It was a gift!"

His angry growl told Annabelle that was exactly the wrong point to make. "Where did you get these?" Bucky hooked his fingers on the elastic of her panties.

"Mine..." She groaned as he continued to attack her lips. "I... bought them."

Bucky ripped them off of her. "Why did you bother to ask?" Annabelle grumbled.

Bucky lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist as he made is way to a chair. Straddling her across his thigh, he grabbed her hips. “Ride me, draga, I want to watch you cum. When I am finished with you, there will be no doubt in your mind who you belong to.”

Annabelle moaned as her sensitive core came in to contact with the rough material of his pant leg.

“Come on baby, I wanna watch you grind on my thigh. I wanna be thinking about you next time I wear these in the field, knowing how you soaked my pants.” Bucky gripped Annabelle's hips, his eyes half closed.

Grabbing his shoulders for balance Annabelle began rubbing herself back and forth on his leg. He gripped her hips tighter and helped her move, setting a steady pace. The friction added to the sinfully delicious pleasure. Annabelle reached down to rub Bucky's growing erection as she ground herself faster.

"Oh God, James, I am so close..." Annabelle panted, her head fell back and her eyes squeezed shut.

Bucky grabbed her hair forcing her head back up. “Oh no, right here baby, I want to see your face when you cum and soak my thigh.” Bucky bounced his leg up sending a shock through Annabelle as he sucked her lower lip and bit it lightly. Annabelle whimpered in response and worked her clit harder and faster. Sensing how close she was, Bucky started flexing his thigh muscle and kissing and nipping Annabelle's throat before slipping two fingers down to pinch her clit sending her orgasm over the edge.

“James.. oh God.. James...” Annabelle groaned collapsing against Bucky's chest.

“Oh, baby, just look at the wet stain you left on my pant leg, do you know how fucking hot that is?” Bucky pushed Annabelle back against the wall as he started undoing his pants to have better access to his painfully erect cock.

Palming his erection Bucky contemplated Annabelle. “You look flustered Annabelle, and I can smell how turned on you are. Who is that for, baby? Who are you thinking about right now?”

Annabelle took a shuddering breath. "It's just you James… please… I need you…" Annabelle whimpered.

Before she could say anything else Bucky was on her, his lips crashing in to hers. His lips and tongue punishing her in bruising kisses. Annabelle raked his shoulders leaving red lines, but he seemed not to notice or care. He twisted her hair holding her head still, as he plundered her mouth. Red hot flames consumed her. She didn't know anything but the feeling of his tongue meeting hers at first but soon, hot liquid pooled in her belly and trickled down to her already overly sensitive clit.

When he Pulled back to look at her Annabelle noticed Bucky was breathing as heavily as she was and she never seen him looking more angry with in her life. It should not have been as much of a turn on as it was.

"All night." he ground his groin in to hers, gripping her hips so tight she knew it would leave bruises. She could feel his arousal against her swollen core. Oh god... "All night, you've been twirling around the dance floor in the arms of some other man, wearing his clothes, his jewels." As he said this, his lips traced a torturous line on her left cheek. Soft, feathery, yet so powerful.

"Holding his hand at the dinner table." his lips suckled her ear lobe making her groan. Annabelle shivered. Her heart thudded painfully. "Showing off your perfect body for some other man.” Now his lips were trailing down her neck and slowly traveled up and down until he was huskily breathing right next to her ear again. His arousal grinding against her swollen clit making her moan. Annabelle was shivering so badly, she thought she might cum right then and there." You have no idea how badly I wanted to carry you out of that place. Away from all the men staring at you." Bucky murmured against her lips. "And fuck you until all you could remember is my name."

Bucky’s words swept through Annabelle, and her hips bucked, getting a little more of his cock to rub on her clit. The noises she made were incomprehensible. She was a bundle of nerves at this point. No thoughts, no words, just feelings. "But that was what you wanted, isn’t it?" Bucky's hands slid up her side and ribs and grabbed her breasts firmly. They fit in his hand as though made just for him. Annabelle moaned. "You wanted me to want you." His fingers were twisted and pulled at her nipples. "But you forgot who you would awaken with that plan. Who would really be in charge."

Bucky ground his cock against her again. Annabelle moaned it was too much… she was going to come. Her juices were running down her legs her breath coming out in short pants. He had complete control over her. Hopefully he hadn’t realized it yet. "Cum." The order hit her like a ton of bricks Annabelle could only cling to Bucky’s shoulders and moan as she shuddered her release. When she came down from her high Annabelle’s hands fell to her sides.

When she came down she found him staring down at her. "James." she whispered.

"What do you want, Belle?" he asked gruffly, his voice harsh. Annabelle licked her lips and reached out to touch him again. Bucky stepped away."Stop. You are not allowed to touch me again until I give you permission." He ordered.

Annabelle’s hands fell back to her sides.

"What do you want?" Bucky asked again.

“I…” What did he want her to say?

"I need you to tell me exactly what you want me to do to that delicious body of yours." Bucky purred.

"I want…” Annabelle blushed. She was not used to being this vocal about her needs,

"Yes, baby?" He whispered in her ear.

Annabelle was determined not to look like a coward. “Fuck me, James. Please…”

Annabelle could see his eyes darken as he sucked in a breath. “How baby? How do you want me to fuck you?”

The words were so sinful they caused her core to clench. “Hard. Fast. I am yours James.”

"Whatever you want baby girl." Annabelle could hear the smile in his voice. His finger trailed a line from the curve of her neck and down her shoulder. Turning her against the wall Bucky ordered her. “Bend over keep your hands against the wall.”

Annabelle did as he asked. She felt hot and dirty at the same time.

"Fuck Belle." Bucky groaned. "Spread your legs and touch yourself for me. I want you to cum next from your fingers while I watch.”

Annabelle was glad the wall covered her blush she had never felt so vulnerable. Or so turned on. Reaching down between her legs she slowly slid two fingers through her wet folds finally sliding them in a v alongside her clit, moaning.

“That’s it baby.” Bucky encouraged her in a harsh whisper. “Keep it up, but don’t cum until I give you permission.”

She didn't know how that was possible since she was already trembling, so she hesitated. "But.." she started.

“You heard me.’ Bucky ordered in a harsh tone and then upped the stakes by pushing one of his metal fingers slowly into her.

“Oh fuck…” Annabelle groaned. “James… please…”

“Please what… baby?” Bucky grinned against her neck.

Annabelle’s pussy clenched at his words. With a moan she came on his fingers shuddering and dropping her head against the wall.

James fingered her through her orgasm. “Naughty girl. You deserve to be punished.”

Annabelle tried to guess what he'd do to punish her but before she could come up with his plan, she felt the sharp slap on her left ass cheek. He'd spanked her! Annabelle cried out more in pleasure than pain. Her pussy dripped with her juices.

"You have an amazing ass Belle." Bucky said. "And one day I definitely want to fuck it... but tonight is all about your sweet tight little pussy."

"James.." Annabelle groaned. Then she felt his flesh finger prodding her exposed entrance. "Belle, you're so wet. Is this all for me baby?" he muttered, rubbing that finger up and down, up and down the bundle of her nerves. And slowly he inserted a long while thumbing her clit.

“James…” Annabelle almost cried from the over stimulation. “I can’t… too sensitive…”

Annabelle thought he would make her beg for her pleasure. Clearly that was not tonight’s game.

"Fuck." Bucky ground his erection into her ass. "Fuck, your pussy is so damn tight Belle. I can't wait to get my cock inside you." He fucked her with his finger, slowly, sensuously. Annabelle moaned loudly, her knees weak. If he had not been holding her up from behind Annabelle knew she would have collapsed to the ground by now. Then he pulled his finger out and she protested.

"James please." she groaned, arms twitching from holding her weight against the wall for so long.

"Please what Belle?" he asked, hands on her hips. “What do you want baby?”

Annabelle had enough of this torment. "You know what, you asshole! You have proven your point!" Annabelle snapped. Bucky delivered another punishing slap to her ass. Annabelle shivered in anticipation as another slap came her way. Her pussy twitched and clenched.

"You like being spanked by me, don't you Belle?" Bucky hissed in her ear. He rubbed her ass and then slowly ran a finger over her soaking wet opening. “So wet for me. Now, what are the magic words?"

Annabelle glared but knew she would have to give in. She needed release so badly she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. "Please fuck me." she moaned, and blushed furiously.

Bucky entered her from behind in one harsh motion, making her call out his name. Annabelle felt impossibly stretched, he was so unbelievably big. They moaned together at how good amazing he felt sheathed within her. Bucky grabbed her hips and pulled out almost completely before snapping his hips forward to fill her again.

"Oh god…. James…. " Annabelle breathed harshly.

"You like that baby?" James asked, reaching around to run his fingers over her clit.

"Yes!" she cried. He set a punishing rhythm, slamming into her over and over again so hard and so fast, that Bucky had been right. The only thing she could remember was his name.

"You like that I'm pounding your little cunt, baby?" He growled. The noises Annabelle made were no longer even words, she was focused only on the feeling of his cock inside her, her walls gripping his penis, their bodies coming together, how they must look. Her abdomen was clenched almost painfully. She needed to find her release. And soon.

"You are so close, Belle, I can feel you." Bucky muttered. "But this time you absolutely will not cum until I give you permission."

God damned super soldier bullshit. Somehow he managed to not only hold back his own release but set an unreasonable pace for her as well. She was long past any shyness. If he wanted her to beg, by God she would beg!..."Please James!" Annabelle pleaded. "Fuck, please!"

"You want to cum?" he chuckled slowing his pace. "Then beg for it." He demanded.

God damned it what had she just been… "Please..."

“Not good enough.” He almost stopped.

"Please… let me cum James. I am begging you!" Annabelle moaned.

Finally Bucky relented and after grabbing both of her breasts, and with one final thrust, Annabelle went over the edge, screaming his name. When Bucky shuddered, she knew he must have found his release too. His cock still pulsed in her.

After a few moments of leaning against the wall Bucky finally pulled her to the bed and covered them both.

Before Annabelle drifted off to sleep she heard Bucky mumble. “The next time you forget who you belong to I will fuck you in to this mattress and you won’t be able to walk for a week.”


	25. He Knew I liked Snakes...

When Annabelle woke up the next morning she fully expected Bucky to be gone. She was incredibly surprised to see him still lying next to her.

And sound asleep. Once again Annabelle was struck by how handsome he was in sleep. All of his worry lines smoothed away. His flesh arm was under her cradling her to his body and his metal hand was around her hips pulling her in to him. Annabelle knew he had been there for awhile because his metal hand was warm against her bare skin.

As though he could tell she was watching him, which Annabelle supposed he could, Bucky groaned and pulled her even closer.

“Too early.” Bucky grumbled, and pulled Annabelle’s head to his shoulder.

The fact that he had not tossed her from him in embarrassment told Annabelle that Bucky had not fully returned from being the Winter Soldier.

“Mmmmm…. Very.” Annabelle agreed, sliding her leg up over his thighs.

With his metal hand Bucky grabbed Annabelle’s wandering leg and rolled her over on to her back. Running his lips against Annabelle’s neck Bucky murmured. “Is that something you really want to start?”

Bucky’s voice sounded odd to Annabelle. Strained, but that was all. Not the slightly cold and dangerous tone he normally had as the Winter Soldier.

Annabelle started to wonder just exactly who she had awoken next to. Could this actually be Bucky…?

But that was ridiculous. Annabelle knew that unless triggered while Bucky may certainly consider… escalating their relationship, he would never act on it.

Oh no, he would have been long gone. Bucky would have fled from his own bed so fast that he would have left tread marks.

But still… he sounded so different than normal.

“James…” Annabelle sighed when Bucky reached a particularly sensitive spot just under her right ear and worked it with his tongue and lips until Annabelle knew he left a mark. “Who am I talk…”

Bucky stopped any conversation by sealing his lips over hers. After a moment Annabelle couldn’t even remember what she had been planning to ask.

“Sergeant Barnes, Miss Stark.” FRIDAY’s voice interrupted them. “I am sorry to interrupt your morning activities, however Mr. Stark is requesting your presence in the common area. At once, if you please.”

“We do not please.” Bucky grumbled. “We very much do not please.”

Annabelle groaned knowing this wasn’t a request. “Alright, Soldier. Get up. My brother isn’t going to wait all day.”

“Sure he is.” Bucky grumbled, but got up and started getting dressed. “He will just send his attack A.I. to bother us every three minutes.”

“Two.” FRIDAY remarked drily.

Bucky threw his shirt at the speaker in the corner. Annabelle scooped up the shirt and slipped it on, much to Bucky’s amusement.

“Well, I have no clothes.” Annabelle pouted. “You so seem determined to ruin them all.”

“Those were NOT your clothes.” Bucky glared at her.

“They were to start with!” Annabelle protested. “And now not only do I not have the pretty green dress, I don’t even have the sweater and slacks.”

With a growl, Bucky pushed Annabelle against the wall and went right back to that sensitive spot he had been worrying earlier. “I see that you are trying to start something this morning.”

“Mmmm….” Annabelle hummed. “Mayyybbeeee….”

“That is your two minute warning, Sergeant Barnes.” FRIDAY’s voice sounded smug.

“If I find your wiring in this room I am ripping it out.” Bucky warned.

Annabelle laughed. “I need to go to my room, feed Brutus and get dressed. Tell my brother unless he wants me to come down wearing nothing but a man’s t-shirt he needs to have a little patience.

“And be certain that he knows WHICH man’s t-shirt.” Bucky grinned.

“You are incorrigible, Soldier.” Annabelle poked Bucky in the chest.

With one last sad look at what had been a very lovely evening gown, Annabelle walked to her apartment.

“Well, at least I am the only one here to witness my walk of shame.” Annabelle chuckled.

“Walk of shame?” Bucky asked stuffing something that looked suspiciously like Annabelle’s evening gown and a mangled pair of high heels down a garbage shoot.

Glaring at Bucky’s high handed maneuvering Annabelle turned pointedly away from the ruins of last evening’s attire. “When a woman slinks back to her room in… well, usually in the clothes she had been wearing the night before.”

Annabelle opened her apartment door to be greeted by a very enthusiastic Brutus. A full food bowl and no maimed visitors told Annabelle that Natasha had been up to feed him.

“You aren’t wearing those clothes.” Bucky pointed out, daring to sound reasonable.

Annabelle clenched her jaw. “I am aware of that, James. It is more about the presumed activities of the previous night that the actual attire.”

“There was nothing presumed about last night’s activities.” Bucky grabbed Annabelle’s upper arms and pulled her to his chest. “Or did you need a reminder?”

“I do not.” Annabelle snapped waspishly, suddenly annoyed with Tony for interrupting what could have been a very satisfying evening.

Annabelle’s flushed cheeks told Bucky just what she had been thinking. Her honest reactions were refreshing.

Even her annoyance was refreshing. Bucky’s laughter followed Annabelle from her living room.

As soon as Annabelle got dressed in something that wasn’t one of Bucky’s shirts and absolutely nothing else the two went downstairs.

Annabelle clapped her hands in delight to see Thor was still with the Avengers. He was stretched out with his long legs taking up a disproportionately larger area than anyone else. Mjolnir on the table in front of him.

“Thor!!” Annabelle sounded far too happy to Bucky. “I am so glad you are still here! It is so good to see you. How are your mother and father?”

“Quite well, Lady Annabelle.” Thor replied, standing at once. “I will tell them that you asked after their health.”

“Oh do! And I have some of those chocolates your mother liked so well.” Annabelle had given Thor a box of chocolates to take to Frigga once and they had been well received.

“Mother will appreciate your generosity.” Thor only sat when Annabelle did.

Bucky did not like how close Thor was to Annabelle. He took up a seat next to her sandwiching her between himself and Steve and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He barely held back a smirk as Annabelle began absent mindedly playing with his metal fingers.

Bucky ignored Tony mumbling “fire extinguisher” behind him.

Steve couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter.

“I understand that my brother took you to dinner last eve.” Thor looked curiously at Annabelle. “We have not seen Loki in some time. Would you mind sharing with us why he decided to pay you a visit?”

“Absolutely not.” Annabelle smiled at Thor’s shock. “I am sorry Thor, I meant I absolutely do NOT mind sharing the reason for his visit. He wanted me to tell everyone. Although I must say I don’t understand much of what he told me I will repeat it as faithfully as I can.”

Thor nodded with a smile. “I had forgotten how very forthright and honest you are, Lady Annabelle.”

Bucky snorted earning him an elbow to the ribs.

“Well, first,” Annabelle started, “Loki came to visit me as my very dear friend.”

Thor nodded, but Tony was decidedly nonplussed.

“I am still a little shaky on how you and Reindeer Games became “dear friends” Annabelle.” Tony sat in another chair across from her.

Annabelle did not like her brother’s domineering attitude. “Do NOT take that tone with me Anthony Stark…”

“She won’t have it.” Bucky tried to keep the amusement from his voice.

He guessed that he had failed when Annabelle turned to glare at him.

“I gave him a choice.” Annabelle hesitated. “He was being controlled, Tony. Loki didn’t WANT to attack Earth. He was forced in to it. I… got the thing possessing him out. He had a choice.”

“That was risky, Lady Annabelle.” Thor shook his head sadly. “When last I had seen my brother he was… not himself. Beyond reason.”

“I suspect,“ Annabelle smiled gently, “that you do not at all believe that Loki was “not himself”. It seems to me that most people were waiting for him to try and kill everyone in his path. Unless I misread the sentiment?”

Thor’s laughter boomed through the room. “You are not wrong Lady Annabelle.”

“He tried to kill a lot of people.” Tony pointed out. “Including me.”

“And me.” Steve added.

“Yes, me too.” Thor smiled sadly. “On many, many occasions. There was one time when we were children, he transformed himself into a snake, and he knows that I love snakes. So, I went to pick up the snake to admire it and he transformed back into himself and he was like, "Yeah, it's me!" And he stabbed me. We were eight at the time.”

“And I thought OUR family was dysfunctional.” Tony said to Annabelle.

“Not the whole family, Tony.” Annabelle grinned. “Just you.”

“The whole family is just you and me, kiddo.” Tony pointed out.

“OK, I stand somewhat corrected.” Annabelle shrugged. “Half of the family is dysfunctional.”

“One day those odds will be two thirds.”Bucky said confidently.

Annabelle blushed, but Tony just laughed. “Odds for or against?”

“Aright, enough you two.” Annabelle glared at the pair. “Thor did not come here to hear you two cracking wise. He came to hear about Loki and the Infinity Stones.”

“The Infinity Stones? This is what Loki told you Thor asked, confused.

“That and the Mad Titan Thanos.” Annabelle confirmed.

That got Thor’s attention. “The Mad Titan? You are absolutely certain that Loki reference the Mad Titan?”

“Absolutely certain.” Annabelle confirmed. “He has some truly dreadful plans.”

“I am quite certain he does.” Thor stood and began to pace. “Tell me everything, please.”

Tony, Steve and Bucky all looked at one another.

“I take it this is bad news?” Steve finally asked.

“The worst sort.” Thor nodded.

Annabelle agreed. “According to Loki he plans to kill half of the life in the universe. It was on the orders of Thanos that Loki attacked Earth.”

Over the next several hours Annabelle explained everything that Loki had told her about the Infinity Stones. Their creation and powers. Where two known ones were last seen. And That unless they stopped him Thanos would destroy half of creation.

The three men only interrupted very occasionally for clarification on a point.

“I don’t understand.” Steve frowned. “Wouldn’t this Thanos wipe out his own friends as well?”

“Thanos has no friends.” Thor ran a hand through his hair. “Only followers and they are replaceable.”

“What is his end game?” Tony asked. “Why is he doing this?”

Annabelle shrugged again. “Loki says because he wants to restore balance. Or woo Death. Or just because he is evil.”

“He definitely qualifies as evil.” Steve leaned back.

“So what do we do?” Bucky wanted to know.

“We find the stones and destroy them.” Annabelle told the three men.


	26. I Remember it All

****

Annabelle had laid down across Bucky’s lap to take a nap while the four men hashed out what to do next. It had been hours since they started talking and it was now late afternoon.

She had not meant to fall asleep, but Bucky kept stroking her hair and murmuring softly to her.

Annabelle knew by now Bucky had switched back from the Winter Soldier, so he was doing this as her friend and nothing more. It still felt like love.

When she awoke Bucky was no longer on the sofa but she could hear voices that told her Bucky, Tony and Steve were just in the next room. Thor had left earlier saying he was pretty certain where Loki had gone to.

Someone, probably Tony, had sent Dum-E to sit beside Annabelle. She reached out and patted it fondly on the boom.

“Good boy.” Annabelle cooed. “I should introduce you to Brutus.”.

Annabelle laughed when Dum-E made a whirring sound and backed away.

“Does everyone fear my dog?” Annabelle shook her head. “You big coward. You are a rough and tough robot.”

Their voices left Annabelle in no doubt as to what the men had got up to.

“So you can actually get drunk.” Annabelle heard Tony make that comment.

“If I drink a lot.” Bucky admitted. “But only if I drink it very quickly.”

Bucky’s slurred words told Annabelle that this theory had been put thoroughly to the test.

“Not me.” Steve sounded depressed. “I could drink a bathtub full of that swill and not feel the effects.”

“Hey!” Tony affected a shock and horrified ton. “Mock ME if you will, but that is a 1955 bottle of Glennfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve. It is NOT swill."

Leave it to Tony to break out a nearly hundred thousand dollar bottle of single malt scotch for a quiet evening chat.

With a chuckle Annabelle got up and made a cup of coffee. Normally she would have poured Bucky one as well, but it seemed he had already found his preferred liquid of choice.

Annabelle was extremely grateful that Tony and Bucky seemed to be getting a long now. But with alcohol in the mix and frustratingly stubborn men Annabelle knew that could change at any time.

Not wanting to disturb them Annabelle sat on the couch and sipped her coffee listening to the three chat.

It was a nice feeling, Annabelle decided. Almost normal. Her… whatever the hell Bucky was… his best friend, her brother, just sitting around talking.

Annabelle decided to join them. It didn’t seem like their conversation was particularly private. Tony’s love of good drink was not exactly a secret to anyone.

Annabelle had not really been paying attention to what the discussion had been about exactly. Not until Tony’s next words made her pause in the doorway.

“It must be nice, not remembering everything that you have done.” Annabelle was a little surprised at how slurred Tony’s words.

Just how long had these two been drinking? Tony rarely showed any interest in what other people thought or did.

“I remember everything I have done.” Bucky sounded monotone. “Every kill, every victim. All of their names.”

Wait… what did he mean he remembered everything… Annabelle’s stomach clenched in a knot. Did that mean he remembered everything they had done together as well? Then why had he acted as though he hadn’t?

Or had he acted that way at all? Annabelle wondered how much of her own presumptions about his condition she had invented in her own mind.

She thought he had not brought up their private time together because he didn’t remember… but now… why hadn’t he brought it up?

“All of it you say?” Tony could be heard pouring another drink as the bottle clinked against a glass.

“It is a curse.” Bucky continued. “Remembering is the worst curse. Two lives in your head, like me. Two lives in my head, cursed worse than ever. Two lives, forever at odds. Double the pain. Double the suffering. That must have been part of Gold’s plan. My punishment in this world is that I know the truth, but I’m powerless to do anything about it.”*

“Then… well, what the hell does going full soldier mean?” Tony sounded as confused as Annabelle was.

“It takes away inhibitions. Morals.” Bucky explained. “Things I would normally never do become possible. Probable even.”

Took away his inhibitions…?

“Then you… what?” Tony probed. “You just can’t say no when someone triggers you?”

“It doesn’t even occur to me that I should.” Bucky confirmed.

Annabelle was horrified. He couldn’t say no. And someone who couldn’t say no couldn’t say yes.

And if he couldn’t say yes… Annabelle reasoned, then what that made her was…

The men had not even noticed Annabelle come in to the room until they heard her coffee mug shatter on the ground.

Annabelle had both hands over her mouth and was staring at Bucky in horror.

“Belle…” Bucky stood up quickly noticing her distress.

“Anna…” Tony was suddenly terrified for his sister. The look in her eyes told him that potentially the mother of all episodes was coming on. “Come on kiddo, talk to me. It is going to be OK…”

“You couldn’t say no…” Annabelle whispered in a near panic. “That makes me no better than HYDRA. Worse. You TRUSTED me and you couldn’t say no…”

“NO!” Bucky shouted. “Annabelle, it isn’t like that!”

Annabelle shook her head mutely and ran. Smashing the buttons on the elevator Annabelle kept running the words “no better than HYDRA… trusted me” over and over in her mind.

Bucky started to run after Annabelle when he felt a hand on his arm holding him back.

Turning quickly Bucky planned to smash whoever had a hold of him. He had to explain to Annabelle that she was wrong. That she had done nothing wrong.

Steve had grabbed a hold of Bucky, suddenly rethinking his rash action of grabbing the unstable man when Bucky turned on him ready to do battle.

“NO! Wait!” Steve shook Bucky’s arm. “Leave her alone for a minute. You don’t want to be near her right now. She’s a danger to herself and to you.”

“Let go of me.” Bucky ground out. “I have to go find her.”

“She went downstairs.” Tony stared at the elevator in amazement. “I can’t believe it. She went DOWN!”

Steve and Bucky looked at the other man as though he had lost his mind.

“What are you talking about?” Bucky was ready to do harm to both of these idiots. “Annabelle is…”

“Fine.” Tony looked bemused. “She went DOWN. Don’t you get it?”

The deadly glare Bucky leveled on him told Tony he did NOT in fact get it.

“When Annabelle has an episode she goes UP.” Tony explained. “The higher the better. She went down this time. I think Steve is right. We need to give her a minute.”

“She has a BALCONY in her room.” Bucky was starting to panic. “She could…”

Tony shook his head. “She won’t. She just needs a moment to… process… whatever it is she thinks she has done to you. FRIDAY, where has Annabelle gone?”

“Miss Stark is currently heading to her apartment, boss.” FRIDAY reported.

“See?” Steve smiled. “She is just fine. She is probably going down to cuddle that vicious beast.”

“Hunh.” Tony grunted. “That is usually what we say when she disappears with you Manchurian Candidate.”

Annabelle ran to her room and started throwing clothes in a bag. She needed to get away, to protect Bucky from herself.

But how… if she went downstairs she knew they would try to stop her from leaving. She needed a way out that no one could stop her. She needed to just vanish.

Annabelle suddenly knew who could help. Snapping on Brutus’ leash Annabelle called quietly. “Loki… please hear me… please. I need help.”

“I am here, Annabelle.” She heard from behind her. “You have to be the first human to pray to me in…” Loki stopped when Annabelle flung herself in to his arms sobbing. “OK… alright. You are OK.”

“Take me away from here. Please.” Annabelle sobbed.

Loki summoned her bag to himself and secured her dog’s leash. “Where to?”

Annabelle murmured directions to Loki and wrapping a comforting arm around her Loki took her away from the tower.

“Sergeant Barnes.” FRIDAY called over the intercom. “You asked to be informed when Miss Stark leaves the Tower.”

“She… left?” Bucky glared at Tony. “You said she was fine. You said she… hell, she couldn’t have got far, where is she FRIDAY? How did she even get out without anyone noticing and so fast?”

“She called her friend Loki and asked him to take her away.” FRIDAY informed them.

“She let Rock of Ages BACK in here?” Tony asked furiously. “AGAIN?!”

Bucky glared at where FRIDAY’s voice was coming from. “Why didn’t you tell us that she had called him?”

“You did not make that request.” Bucky could have sworn her voice sounded smug.

“This is revenge for my pulling out your wires, isn’t it?” Bucky accused.

“I am not programmed for vengeance, Sergeant Barnes.” FRIDAY chastised.

“HA! Don’t believe that for a second.” Tony smirked. “Now where could Annabelle be? Did she say anything to you about where she might run to Barnes?”

“To me.” Bucky paced. “She was supposed to run TO me.”

“Miss Stark is at the Malibu house boss.” FRIDAY informed them.

Bucky strode towards the elevators.

“Where are you going, Buck?” Steve asked concerned.

“Where the hell do you think I’m going? Bucky snapped.

“You might want to think about that.” Tony poured another drink. Now that he knew where Annabelle was and that she was safe, hell, she was probably the only person who actually was safe from that maniac, he could relax for a moment.

“And why would I want to wait?” Bucky glared at Tony. The only reason he hadn’t ignored Tony was because he didn’t exactly know where the Malibu house was.

“Because Annabelle isn’t just going to let you in, that’s why.” Tony slid Bucky a drink. “We have to come up with a reason for her to see you that she can’t refuse.”

“And why would you help me to see Annabelle?” Bucky glared suspiciously at Tony. “I never got the idea that you were happy with the idea that one day I fully intend to be your brother in law.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot nearly to his hairline. “I uh… had no idea it was that serious…”

Bucky shrugged. “Annabelle isn’t the sort a guy trifles with and walks away.”

“Damned right she isn’t.” Tony slammed his glass down. “Her brother happens to be Iron Man who WILL kill the bastard who tries that. But you are right. I haven’t been exactly thrilled with her choice in you.”

“Then why…?” Bucky wanted to be angry that Tony had just lobbed him a softball threat but the more people to protect Annabelle the better in his opinion.

“Because the alternative may damned well be Reindeer Games and I am pretty sure Thor will take it badly when I have to murder his brother.” Tony grimaced.

“I think you have just grown used to Bucky.” Steve grinned.

“I can grow used to people dumping grounds in my garbage disposal like we are running a biker bar.” Tony shrugged. "I suppose I can get used to other savage things as well.”

“So what is your plan?” Bucky sat back down.

**_*This is a quote from Once Upon a Time where Sebastian Stan played Jefferson/The Mad Hatter._ **


	27. Malibu

Loki took Annabelle to the Stark Malibu home just as she requested of him. He wasn’t really sure how to help her afterwards.

“Would you like me to stay, Annabelle?” Loki asked uncertainly after she had thanked him and told him he could leave that she would be fine. “I don’t mind staying, I don’t really understand what the issue is exactly and I doubt I would be much help… but I can stay.”

Looking up at how obviously discomfited by the idea Loki was Annabelle laughed her first true laugh in hours. “No, Loki, go home. Although there is one thing I must ask… why? I mean I called out to you and you came. I knew you would but I am still not exactly clear on WHY you keep doing that?”

Loki smiled. “We are friends. If you were to ask me why we are friends… or more specifically why I, a god of Asgard would consider a puny mortal…” Loki pretended to flinch when Annabelle socked him in the arm. “It is because you just… accepted me. You freed my mind and told me I could choose, but never tried to suggest how I should choose.”

“It wasn’t my place to make your decisions for you.” Annabelle smiled up at her rescuer. “You would do what you felt was right, with or without my interference.”

“I could have continued to take over your world you know.” Loki reminded her.

“Oh, indeed.” Annabelle unpacked her small bag. “But… then what? No offense, Loki, but you don’t exactly seem like the type who wants to settle down and rule anyone.”

Loki laughed. “Perhaps you are correct, Annabelle Stark. Perhaps one day I would have simply laid it all at your feet and walked away.”

“Mercy! Never do something like that!” Annabelle clutched her breast. “I would absolutely run! Besides don’t you have a lady friend or someone you would rather leave everything in the hands of.”

“Ah… yes.” Loki grinned. “As it turns out I do have a lady friend, as you put it. Her name is Jane Foster.”

Annabelle furrowed her eyebrows. “That name sounds familiar… wait… wasn’t Thos dating a woman by the name of Jane Foster?”

‘Indeed, and she is one and the same.” Loki nodded. “But as it turns out she and I suit far better. And as the future King of Asgard he will need to settle down with an Asgardian noblewoman who can give him many fine fat sons.”

“And you don’t have that same responsibility?” Loki never really talked about what he would be doing after Thor ascended the throne.

“I am fortunate enough to choose who I will spend time with.” Loki lifted a t-shirt from Annabelle’s pile. “Captain America?”

Annabelle snatched it back laughing. “Steve is a friend. Nothing more.”

“Do you wish to discuss the man who IS something more?” Loki stretched out on her couch and waited.

“I did something awful to him Loki.” Annabelle could not quite meet the god’s eye. “I always thought… I mean, it seemed like he did not remember any of our time together. That he was simply acting on certain… urges.”

“I take it that was not the case?” Loki poured himself a glass of wine from the bottle on the coffee table.

Annabelle shook her head. “No. As it turns out he had no ability to say no to me. And if someone cannot say no, well then… they cannot say yes. And so I… well, there are unpleasant words for someone who takes advantage of a person when they literally cannot say no.”

“In my home we call that man Father.” Loki sipped his wine and contemplated the quality for a moment.

“He trusted me, Loki.” Annabelle had a hitch in her voice. “And I took advantage of him.”

“Ahhh… quite the femme fatale then?” Loki smirked. “Our little Annabelle is the seducer of unwilling and unwitting men?”

“NO!” Annabelle shrieked. “I most certainly did not seduce him!”

Loki grinned at her discomfort. “Then it is safe to assume that he may not have been as unwilling as you seem to think?”

“It is not about willingness…” Annabelle hesitated.

Loki swirled his wine. “Oh but it very much IS about willingness. If he was willing, and your blush tells me perhaps even eager, then it seems to me you have committed no sin.”

“But…” Annabelle contemplated this. “I summoned that part of him that could not say no…”

“I see.” Loki watched Annabelle pace. “And you summoned him for the purpose of satisfying your own urges?”

“GOD no!” Annabelle refuted. “I summoned him the last time because…”

“Because?” Loki prompted.

“Well… because he asked me to.” Annabelle confessed. “But he asked me to do so in order to protect me… I think.”

“You think… but you do not know?” Loki asked. “Them perhaps I am not the one you should be having this conversation with.”

After Loki left Annabelle to her thoughts she decided that perhaps he was correct. Perhaps she needed to talk to James about what their status as… whatever they were…. was.

Letting Brutus out to run along the beach Annabelle grabbed a cup of tea and sat on the patio to watch him frolic in the beach.

Annabelle had not been on the patio long when FRIDAY’s voice informed her. “Miss Stark you have a visitor.”

Assuming that Loki had come back Annabelle turned with a smile. “Just can’t get enough of me, can you? Don’t you have any other friends?”

She was surprised to see Vision looking back at her, slightly amused. “Very few Annabelle, but you are one of my preferred companions.”

“Vision!” Annabelle hopped up delighted to see him. “I thought you were Loki returning.”

“No, indeed I am not.” Vision motioned towards the other chair. “May I join you?”

“Oh… yes of course, please!” Annabelle scooted over just a bit to give the long legged android more room. “I am glad you have come to see me.”

“Are you?” Vision sat down. “It is not always easy for me to determine when my presence is welcome.”

Listening to him Annabelle wondered how she had not noticed right away that something was off. He sounded exactly like JARVIS.

“You will always be welcome, Vision.” Annabelle assured him. “Have you come for a social visit or…?”

“It is our usual walk time, Annabelle.” Vision motioned towards Brutus. “Although I see he has found a way to entertain himself.”

At the moment Brutus was tossing a piece of driftwood in to the air and catching it.

Annabelle laughed at his antics. “It is good for him to run with such freedom.”

“And for you?” Vision asked. “Are you running with freedom?”

“I… no not exactly.” Annabelle confessed. “Is it safe to assume you know what occurred at the Tower before I came here?”

“I know that you left believing yourself to be a sexual predator.” Vision’s blunt statement shocked Annabelle a bit.

Although she could not say he was wrong. “Yes, something like that.”

Vision nodded. Touching the stone on his forehead he looked out at the waves. “When I first came to be, there were many things I did not understand. Wanda helped me a great deal with what is socially and ethically acceptable. We discussed consent many times. I do not believe that what you have experienced with Sergeant Barnes constitutes non consensual intercourse. Perhaps for you it is a grey area, but I do not believe that you have coerced him into intercourse. Perhaps unethically encouraged may be a better terminology.”

Annabelle remembered many discussions on whether or not phasing through walls was appropriate behavior. “And what would Wanda have said about this situation?”

“I believe Wanda would have told me to mind my own business.” Vision answered candidly. “I have chosen a different tactic.”

Annabelle looked at him for a long time. And then started laughing. She laughed so hard her sides hurt. And in the end she wasn’t sure why. Maybe just hearing JARVIS’ voice in her time of need once again. Or maybe the deadpan way Vision delivered that comment.

“Oh, I HAVE missed this.” Annabelle finally gasped with a hiccup. “I know you are not JARVISm and thank God you are not Ultron. But you have a very plain way of seeing things that is just what I needed right now.”

“I am glad if my perspective eases your mind.” Vision threw the stick Brutus brought to him.

“I don’t know whether it does or not.” Annabelle answered honestly. “Unethically encouraged does not sound much different.”

“Consider this factor then.” Vision went on. “Is it coercion if a woman wears a padded brassier in order to enhance her attributes to attract a male? Or for a man to place lifts in his shoes for the same purpose?”

“I… don’t know.” Annabelle frowned. “But it isn’t the same. Even with extra height or padding someone has the opportunity, the ability to say no.”

“Perhaps, but millennia of human evolution are difficult to argue with.” Vision pointed out. “And I do not believe that Sergeant Barnes would agree he was coerced in any event. If he felt anything you could have done would have harmed him, he would not have allowed you in to his mind to start with.”

Annabelle remained unconvinced. “But he could not have expected…”

Vision interrupted. “I disagree. I believe he not only expected but anticipated this response.”

Annabelle was confused. “What makes you say that?”

“Even before your healing sessions began, whether he was triggered as the Winter Soldier or not his physiological response was obvious. Flushed skin, heightened awareness of your proximity. Dilated pupils. All classic signs of arousal.”

Annabelle turned beet red. This was NOT the conversation she expected to be having. “And yet… he made it clear he did not wish an intimate relationship.”

“His response indicate his words may not have been factual.” Vision replied.

“He lied then?” Annabelle sipped her tea, “To what purpose?”

“I have little experience in this area, but I believe his response to be dear based.” Vision threw the stick again.

“He is afraid I would hurt him.” Annabelle looked sadly in to her cup. “And that is exactly what I did.”

Vision cocked his head. “I believe he is more frightened that he would cause harm to you.”

“He would NEVER harm me!” Annabelle argued. “He couldn’t. I know that for an absolute fact.”

“Your flight indicates otherwise.” Annabelle was horrified.

Had she led James to believe she was afraid of him when she left? “Vision, I need to…”

“There is another reason I have come, Annabelle.” Vision stood up and held out his hand. “You have an assignment from Director Fury. “You are to attend an event that you have been given an invitation to.”

Annabelle took his hand and stood up. “What event? And what am I looking for?”

“Your partner for the evening will fill you in on the particulars.” Vision led her in to her bedroom where a lovely evening gown had been laid out on the bed. “You are to pose as a couple, newly engaged. The event is at the art show of Mr. Andres Kuznetsov.”

“Andres?” Annabelle frowned at the dress. “Is Nick trying to use me to bring him down again?”

“That is possible.” Vision concurred. “I have been given very little beyond your attire and instructions to assist you with your hair and makeup.”

Annabelle had a knot in her throat. JARVIS would often consult with her on what she wore. The gown Vision brought was a beautiful one shoulder drapey silver evening gown.

After a shower and sliding in to her undergarments, Vision helped Annabelle put her hair in a simple half up do and applied light natural make up.

“I do believe that your appearance is more than adequate.” Vision looked her over one final time.

“More than adequate?” Annabelle laughed. “Why Vision you say the sweetest things.

Vision looked up from where he had been adjusting the strap on her shoe and smiled.

At 6pm the doorbell sounded and Vision announced. “Your partner for the evening has arrived.”

Annabelle went to the door and saw her companion for the evening standing there in a tuxedo.

He face instantly flushed and she felt like she may have been had. Was Vision even capable of doing that?

“James…” Annabelle breathed.


	28. The Art Gallery

Annabelle’s mouth went dry seeing Bucky at the door and her palms started sweating.

He was dressed in a tuxedo that was just barely restraining his form.

Bucky held out a bouquet of roses. “I believe this is still customary?” He winked down at her.

“Ummm… yes, thank you, Vis, would you put these in water for me?” Annabelle felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

“Of course Annabelle.” Vision replied, plucking the bouquet from over her shoulder. “Do try to enjoy yourself this evening.”

“It is a work event, Vis.” Annabelle reminded him. “I doubt there will be time for frivolities.”

While she had been surprised, Annabelle supposed that she had expected it would be James at the door. He had still managed to fluster her.

He wasn’t likely to have just given up that easily.

His determination and persistence had been the things she had grown to depend on.

“You look stunning.” James whispered. He hadn’t meant to comment at all, he was still pretty annoyed that she had taken off without so much as discussing the situation with him, but he couldn’t help it.

“So do you.” Annabelle whispered back causing James to smirk.

“I'd look out of place at a society event in full armor.” He chuckled.

“I… suppose you would. Where are we going?” Annabelle tried to pull herself together.

She couldn’t help compare the idea of him in full armor to the way he looked now. It was a nice change but she still found him far sexier in armor.

“Your… friend… Andres sent another invite to a charity art gala.” Bucky explained. “Director Fury wants us to go and get information on a mission he suspects your friend is involved in.”

“What does Nick expect us to discover?” Bucky gritted his teeth when she called the Director “Nick” again. He would have never admitted it to the other man, but Bucky knew how annoying Tony must find it when she did that.

“DIRECTOR Fury,” He emphasized Director. “Wants us to gather any information that might be inside that suggests art isn’t the only thing being sold here. He thinks you may be able to get that information without bloodshed.”

Annabelle sighed. “The hazards of being friendly with spies I suppose. But honestly, I don’t think Andres would be involved in anything shady. OK, more shady than spying for the KGB.”

“The Russian Committee for State Security.” Bucky used the correct term for KGB in Russia hasn’t been operative in decades, Annabelle. It is now the Federal Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service. But don’t let the change in names fool you. They are still just as dangerous.”

“James, I have been with Andres many times he wouldn’t do anything truly evil.” Annabelle had touched his arm once. Andres was at his heart a kind man. A kind man who was a deadly spy, but he held genuine affection for her. “OK, anything truly evil to ME.” She admitted.

Bucky ignored this comment. Director Fury suspected there was human trafficking happening at this event. He didn’t want to alarm Annabelle with the details.

“Are you ready?” he motioned towards the waiting limo.

“I… yes… I suppose I am.” This is only awkward if you make it awkward, Annabelle reminded herself. He is here as an Avenger, you are here as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent that is all.

It was a comforting lie for all of two seconds. As soon as Bucky put his hand in the small of her back Annabelle nearly melted and it was all she could do to not throw herself at him.

“Get it together, Annabelle.” She lectured herself. “Don’t compound the errors you have committed by committing them again!”

Getting to the limo Annabelle was happy to see that Happy was the driver. He shoved a small pistol at her. “Tony’s orders.”

Annabelle glared at the hated thing. “And just where do you suggest I tuck that, Happy?” She plucked the top of her gown. “It is going to be awkward if I stick it in my bra.”

Bucky reached out and took the pistol. “I will hold that.”

Happy looked conflicted but didn’t quite argue with the assassin either.

The limo ride to the art gallery was silent. Annabelle kept glancing at Bucky out of the corner of her eye. He looked almost bored.

How someone managed to look sexy while bored was beyond Annabelle, but here he was doing just that.

Pulling up to the gallery Annabelle adjusted her dress and checked her makeup once more. Before Happy could open the door for her Bucky took her arm gently.

Gently he slid a ring on her finger. It was beautiful. A small simple diamond in a beautiful rose setting.

At Annabelle’s surprised look Bucky explained. “We are supposed to be engaged, remember?”

“Oh… right…” Annabelle couldn’t help the tug of disappointment.

“If anything goes wrong… if anyone so much as musses your hair… we shut this entire operation down. Do you understand? If ANYTHING looks the least bit suspicious…”

“I understand.” Annabelle answered. “But…”

“No buts.” Bucky said firmly. “Nothing goes wrong or we pull out. With extreme prejudice if necessary.”

Annabelle knew “extreme prejudice” was likely to end in a hail of gun fire and dead bodies. “James, the press is here. There won’t be any…”

“Press can be bribed.” Bucky cut her off. “Newsfeeds jammed. This is not a picnic, Annabelle.”

Annabelle became a little annoyed. “I am a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, James. I am perfectly capable of…”

The mulish look on his face told Annabelle he would not be swayed. She wondered for a moment if he hadn’t mention press being bought off and newsfeeds jammed because he had already taken care of that little matter.

“Kiss me.” He said suddenly, distracting her from whatever she was capable of doing.

Annabelle’s brain malfunctioned and all she was able to stammer out was “What? Why?”

“We are supposed to be together, as in a couple.” Annabelle’s eyes grew wide. And her heart beat a little hopefully. “It is our disguise. We are likely to have to engage in some sort of public display of affection to prove that.”

“I… are you serious?” Annabelle was not sure she was strong enough for this.

“Perfectly serious.” Bucky looked at her expectantly.

“Ok… yeah… fine.” Annabelle leaned forward to kiss him.

As soon as his lips touched hers Annabelle was lost. In that moment she would have followed him anywhere.

The contact was all too brief but it still left her heart slamming in her chest.

“OK, that should do it.” Bucky pulled back.

Happy came around and opened Annabelle’s door with a little twinkle in his eye. As unusual as the pair seemed, Happy approved. Annabelle had never let anyone human get close to her the way she let this guy. And he really got under her skin, Happy held back a smirk. He had heard the entire exchange and Annabelle looked barely capable of walking.

“Miss Stark.” Happy smiled down at Annabelle as he helped her from the car.

Annabelle took Happy’s gloved hand. “Thank you Happy.”

Once inside Annabelle and Bucky mingled, arm in arm like the madly in love couple they were pretending to be.

“Myshka!” Annabelle heard Andres call out. “I am so pleased you could make it. Sergeant Barnes.” Andres kissed the air near Annabelle’s cheek, well aware she did not like to be touched, and shook Bucky’s hand.

Bucky did not like Kuznetsov calling Annabelle pet names. “Myshka”. Little mouse. It was a term of endearment in Russia.

It was a killing offense when used for a term of endearment when that woman belonged to someone else.

And before this night was over, Bucky intended to prove to Annabelle that she belonged to him. Not the Winter Soldier and damned well not to Andres Kuznetsov.

“Kuznetsov.” Bucky returned the handshake stiffly.

It was a strange feeling, this jealousy over a large part of himself. But Annabelle had run when she realized that it was not entirely the Winter Soldier she had been with. Or at least that he wasn’t the only one that remembered their nights together.

Oh, he knew damned well why. She believed she had forced him to make love to her. That she had broken his trust. Nothing could be further from the truth, and tonight she would understand that.

Annabelle was chatting happily with Andres, but she had not missed how tense Bucky was beside her. Without thinking about it much, she drew his arm through hers and patted it. She almost smiled over how it was is metal arm she was patting and he couldn’t feel it, but when he relaxed slightly against her she knew her soothing had worked anyway.

Andres had to go and mingle with the other guests.

“James.” Annabelle hissed. “We are here undercover, you acting like a grouch to our host won’t help that cover one bit.”

“I disagree, if I acted nice to him THAT would be suspicious.” Bucky steered her towards the dance floor.

Annabelle couldn’t find fault in that logic. “Why are we dancing?” She asked when he swept her in to his arms.

“Because it allows me to scan the room.” Bucky lied, he had a feeling Annabelle would run screaming from the place if she knew he just wanted a few minutes to hold her.

Annabelle could not help but notice all of the admiring glances he was getting from the women there. And one or two of the men.

After they had listened to two songs Bucky led Annabelle to the buffet tables. “Stay right here.” He warned her sternly. “I will be right back.”

Annabelle grabbed his arm. “Why? Where are you going?”

“I need to look around a moment, I will be right back.” Bucky assured her. “Do not move from this spot.”

“I don’t like this James, I think we should stay together.”

“Now you say that.” He murmured.

Annabelle ignored this and watched him walk away.

She had been standing there chatting with a very nice elderly woman about a painting on display when she heard a familiar voice.

“You are playing a dangerous game, myshka.” Annabelle sturned when she heard Andres voice next to her. What did he know?

“What do you mean, Andres?” Annabelle decided to go for innocence.

“The man you are with, he is very dangerous.” Andres looked where Bucky had left.

“If so, he is not the first dangerous man I have been with.” Annabelle looked at him pointedly.

“Ahh…. Myshka, you know I have never been a danger to you.” Annabelle did not like the way he emphasized “you”.

“And Sergeant Barnes is only dangerous to his enemies.” Annabelle leveled a hard stare at Andres. “You would do well not to make yourself one.”

Andres sighed. “Perhaps you are correct. For such a little mouse you are very brave.”

Andres had always called her a little mouse because she could not stand for anyone to touch her. It had never bothered her before now.

Annabelle had just opened her mouth to set Andres back for his little jibe when she felt a hand slip around her middle. “Have you been behaving yourself while I was gone, draga?”

Annabelle didn’t look up when he asked that. “Not at all. I have been very poorly behaved.” She laughed, relaxing in to his hold.

“It is time for us to leave, Annabelle, we have other events to attend this evening.” Bucky slid her wrap over her shoulders. “Kuznetsov.” He said by way of a goodbye.

“Sergeant Barnes.” Annabelle did not miss the hard look in his eyes. “Annabelle.” Andres bent over her gloved hand. “A pleasure as always.”

Bucky led Annabelle straight to the limo and waved Happy off, assisting her in himself.

“Wait…” Annabelle looked at him confused. “We had a mission, a job a…”

Bucky pulled out a thumb drive. “And we did it. You kept Kuznetsov while I got the information.”

Annabelle gaped up at him. “You weren’t gone more than ten maybe fifteen minutes.”

“I had incentive to work quickly.” Bucky said enigmatically.

Pulling up in front of the Malibu house, Annabelle wasn’t sure what happened next. She had run here to get away. And the man she was specifically hiding from was sitting next to her in the car.

But she found she really didn’t want to him to go. She didn’t want to spend tonight without him. At least in the Tower he was close. Just down the hall.

Reminding herself that she had been the one to create the distance didn’t help.

Clearing her throat Annabelle turned to say goodbye to Bucky but he didn’t let her get a word out. “Wait right here while I check the house.”

“FRIDAY is on, she can…” Annabelle had no idea why she was arguing and it didn’t matter since Bucky had already left the limo.

In just a few minutes he came back and opened her door. Happy had given up thinking he was supposed to actually work as a chauffeur this evening and let Bucky have his way.

Without another word Bucky took Annabelle by the hand and led her in to the house, locking the door firmly behind him.

“Vis? Are you still here?” Annabelle called out.

“The Vision left directly after you did Miss Stark.” FRIDAY informed her.

Annabelle sighed and stood in the kitchen uncertain. With slightly shaky hands she slowly drew the pins from her hair. Bucky came up behind her and gently pushed her hands away letting loose the pins and watching as her curls cascaded down her back one by one.

Lifting the curls away Bucky kissed the nape of her neck making Annabelle shudder.

“What are you doing?” Annabelle asked with a trembling voice.

“Easing your fears.” Bucky grinned against her neck.

Annabelle couldn’t think straight. “I was afraid?”

“You were, you won’t be after tonight.” Bucky ran his hands along her arms leaving goose bumps behind as he stepped away unbuttoning his jacket.


	29. Surrender (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very explicit. You do not have to read this to enjoy the main story.

Bucky slid out of his tuxedo coat and tossed it on the back of the chair.

Annabelle slipped the gown over her shoulders and let it gather around her hips. The way his pupils dilated told Annabelle he heartily approved of her lacy black push up bras.

As he walked towards toward her, Annabelle ran her eyes all the way from his black dress shoes, up his pant legs to the zipper of his pants where Annabelle found an obvious bulge.

As her eyes slid upward, they locked with his intense blue gaze. Her blood settled low in her core, as her heart rate rose higher.

Annabelle walked slowly towards him. Bucky's eyes never left hers.

When they stood chest to chest, her head slanted upward to hold his gaze, Annabelle could smell the cinnamon of his breath and the woodsy outdoors scent of his aftershave. And something else, a scent that was uniquely Bucky.

“Tell me what to do,” Bucky demanded.

Annabelle hesitated, but nothing in his gaze told her that he was being compelled to do this. “Kiss me.”

She barely got out the whispered reply before his lips were on hers. They were as soft and demanding as Annabelle remembered.

The force made her moan. All of the suppressed desire from the evening was like liquid fire through her veins. Pressing her hips into his with groan, Annabelle slid her gown the rest of the way over her hips, moaning when Bucky grabbed her ass and squeezed. When her lips parted, his tongue entered with a sensual touch. Annabelle brushed her tongue against his, searching, wild, and hungry.

Bucky's right hand cupped Annabelle's neck his thumb stroking her pulse point, as the his metal hand grabbed and pushed against her hip, forcing her back against the kitchen wall with a resounding thud. Annabelle didn’t care; they had the whole place to themselves. Tongues locked, he pushed his body into hers. His hard cock rubbing against the lacy thong barely covering pussy made Annabelle squirm. His strong hand swept up her body until he found her breast. Annabelle moaned when he kneaded her breast before pinching her nipple through the lace.

“I’ve wanted you so badly,” he murmured, kissing a hot wet open mouthed trail down her neck as he continued to rub her taut nipple between his thumb and finger, the cold metal contrasting erotically with her fevered flesh.

“Me too.” Annabelle confessed, eyes closed.

As his lips moved down her sternum, the rough feel of his light stubble tingling against her skin, he pulled the soft-stretchy fabric of her bras down to kiss and suck the swell of her breast. her nipple prickled with need. Annabelle grabbed at the strap of her bra and tore it down, exposing her rosy red nipple. He gazed down and smiled, rubbing his hips against hers before dipping his head to her chest to give her what Annabelle asked for.

Annabelle's breath hitched when his lips brushed over her nipple, hardening it to an even firmer peak. His tongue darted out before his mouth closed over it in a hard suck that sent a shock straight to her clenching pussy. Her legs shook and went weak. Bucky pressed into her, holding her in place as he kissed his way back up her body and his hand massaged her free breast.

“Tell me what you want,” he said, his warm breath tickling her ear, making the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

With her breath ragged and face burning, Annabelle tore at the button of his shirt to undo it. “I want to feel you,” Annabelle demanded.

In the moment Annabelle did not care who was in charge.

Bucky slapped her hand away. "Beg."

Annabelle knew he wouldn't undo a single button until she did. "Please James, please..."

He grunted his approval, making her smile as a sense of confidence Annabelle hadn’t had before washed over her. There was nothing forced in this. The look in his eyes was lusty, but clear.

Together they got his shirt unbuttoned and off, leaving his muscular torso exposed. Annabelle ran both hands over his pecs and felt the soft bristles of his short chest hair. Her nails dug into his skin when he kissed her again. He groaned in return and his hands found the elastic of her panties before tearing them down her off. As his lips rose back to hers, Annabelle skimmed her hand down his chest until she finally reached his bulge.

“You’re so hard…” Annabelle moaned, grabbing at the length of him through his pants until she felt the broad tip of his penis. Her legs quivered at the thought of him inside her.

He grabbed her ass in both hands and pulled her against him, trapping her hand against his penis. Slowly he lifted her to the kitchen counter where he could pull her even closer to his erection. With her legs spread wide when Bucky moved cool air licked at her wetness.

"What do you want, draga?" Bucky knelt to lick behind her knee. Annabelle started, he usually only called her draga when he was the Winter Soldier, but the way he winked up at her told her she was still looking at Bucky.

“Fuck my pussy with your tongue,” Annabelle demanded, wanting to feel the thrill of that confidence boost once more. It paid off, Bucky smiled that panty dropping grin she was after, and Annabelle melted. “please…” Annabelle ended on a low moan.

Annabelle wrapped one of her legs around his shoulder as he lifted licked his way up her thigh. As he kissed closer to the center of her desire his hardness pressed into her dangling foot. He set her down on the clear side of his desk and once again our lips locked in a wild kiss; her body hummed with anticipation of what his kiss promised.

Bucky’s eyes drank her in. “You’re so sexy.”

Clad only in the bra pushing up her breasts, Annabelle surrendered finally and completely. Lifting her feet to the edge of the counter, Annabelle gazed at him from between her legs and dropped a lascivious wink.

Bucky grabbed at her thighs and pulled them apart again to kiss along the inside of her calf as he lowered himself to his knees. He brushed his lips on her thigh as he pressed the flat of his thumb into her clit and traced light circles. Annabelle jumped and moaned as the pleasure soared from her groin to her tight breasts.

“You’re so wet,” he groaned, biting right into her thigh.

Before Annabelle could respond, he pulled the lips of her pussy gently apart, exposing her and Annabelle watched him descend until she felt the heat of his mouth. “Ah, fuck!” Annabelle exclaimed. When his tongue swept over her clit, her hips rose off the counter.

Annabelle felt him smile between her legs. He licked her clit repeatedly with his bold tongue. Her senses heightened on the growing shocks around her clit, her back squeaking and sliding in the puddle of accumulated sweat on the counter when he sucked on the little nub and shook his head. Annabelle tangled her fingers into his unruly sweat darkened hair and held on as his tongue and lips kept her in ecstasy, her toes curling and her vaginal muscles trying to clench around something… anything. So close to that edge, Annabelle closed her eyes, head thrashing...

Until a cool breeze of abandonment replaced his tongue. When Annabelle opened her eyes again, Annabelle found him standing before, her his hard penis standing at the ready. Her mouth watered as he stepped toward her offering himself to me. Annabelle sat up, took his warm dick in her hand, and stroked it down to the base.

Annabelle pushed on his hips with a stern touch. His breath hitched when Annabelle leaned over and suckled his tip between her lips, smelling her own arousal. Turning her head to the side, Annabelle smiled up at him before sliding him down her throat and sucking as Annabelle came back up. His smooth but hard-as-rock penis throbbed in her mouth, causing her mid-section muscles to spasm with anticipation. A strong hand on her shoulders slowed her to a halt. Annabelle gazed back up at him, a smile still playing on her lips.

“You’re mouth feels so damn good. Annabelle can’t wait to fuck you.” He pushed her back against the table and absently stroked his penis a few times as if unable to help himself before he positioned it at against me. Staring her down, he rubbed his tip over her clit down to her warm, slick entrance. We both groaned when he tore himself away and pushed against her clit once more.

“Tell me what you want,” he demanded from between his clenched teeth.

“James, please.”

His eyebrow ticked upward in question, demanding Annabelle say it.

“Fuck me please. Just… ah!” His penis sheathed home in one fluid thrust. He groaned and grabbed her thighs, holding her to him as he pulled back and thrust again.

“Yes…” Annabelle whispered, sweet shocks flooding her body from his thickness finally filling her completely.

He grabbed the back of her neck and held her in place as he kissed and thrust into her body repeatedly, deeper and harder. Our bodies slapped together. The table rocked with his pounding thrusts, and Annabelle was approaching that edge again. Annabelle grabbed her breasts, and he ducked down to watch the action. Knowing Annabelle had his undivided attention, Annabelle moved one hand into his line of sight.

“Ah, yes…” he groaned, continuing to thrust. “Touch yourself.”

Annabelle happily obliged, dancing her hand between her folds and around her clit in tandem with his thrusting.

“Fuck!” Annabelle shouted.

“That’s it…” His encouragements whipped her hand into a circling pattern, which matched the rhythm he’d set with his steady thrusts. “Come all over me.” 

The sudden added sensation of him sucking her nipple back into his mouth sent her careening over the edge. her body went taut and her breath stilled in her lungs as her muscles spasmed in a wave of pleasure that rocked throughout her body.

Bucky smiled, an expression of complete and utter satisfaction Annabelle hadn’t seen from him before. With one fluid motion, he twisted her orgasm-limp body to the side. Bowing over her he captured her lips in a kiss as if he was claiming all of her and began a slow rock into her tight pussy that was still spasming around him.

With each timed thrust, he built her crescendo again, but this time with a slow vibration of tightening muscles. Annabelle couldn’t believe she was so close again, so soon..

Bucky threw back his head and his paced turned from deep and languid to frantic and unsteady. The heat of his urgency sent another sudden wave of heat to wash over her. As he grunted through a deep finishing groan, his veins protruding from his neck, Annabelle came again along with him.

His face fell to the valley between her breasts and they both panted until Annabelle drifted back to reality. “Did that ease your fears?” he whispered.

“Yes, thank you, James.” Annabelle mumbled and promptly fell asleep


End file.
